Badminton

In grade 9 when I did not train in badminton, I looked up to anyone who could get onto the team. I was inspired by some of the senior players at the time and decided to start training outside of school. Although it was late to start comparing to most of the other players, I continued to do conditioning and drills every week until the end of high school. There have been regrets from a single deciding shot that led to a loss. There have been frustrations when my doubles partner and I could not bring back an important game. There have been medals, trophies, injuries, sweat. And there have been unstoppable tears when our team made history for our school. Badminton was my most involved sport in high school and it had given me strength and memories beyond my expectations.

Volleyball

I started playing volleyball by chance when my friend gave me a pair of kneepads as a birthday gift. Not wanting to let the gift go to waste, I tried out for the team and ended up staying for three years. I grew close to my teammates beside me and became inspired to battle for as long as we could. One of the reasons why I look forward to summertime now is the sandy courts and the burning sun on the skin when we go play beach volleyball again.

Running

I. Hated. Running. My only motivation for running came from my mom who, completely unathletic before, picked up running and compeleted three half marathons. Under her influence, I have completed the Vancouver Sun Run 10k race and the BMO Half Marathon. I try to run every week and stay fit among my work. Although I still hate running, I think there's something satisfying in the persistance of running long distance.

Archery

I wanted to try something new in university and joined Waterloo's Archery Club. It was a nice place to meet new people, de-stress, and build my patience. I truly enjoyed concentrating solely on the bow and arrow and unplugging from all my other worries. Among the increasing usage of phones, archery gives a rare chance to stay undisturbed and practice focus.

Skiing

My favorite winter routine is going up the mountains to ski with my family. Being extremely fortunate to live in BC, the West Coast mountains can look like a different world above the city. One of my favorite moments is this, when the sun was setting as we got off the chairlift at the summit of Cypress Mountain.

Hiking

You can probably always catch me daydreaming about going hiking, whether to conquer a mountain or to explore a lake. My favorite spots have been Garibaldi Lake, Mount Cheam (in the pictures here) and Joffre Lakes. Next up on my list, I want to discover more the nature in Ontario, like Algonquin Park and Bruce Peninsula. The dream is to one day hike in Patagonia :)

Tennis

Another way for me to decompress is playing tennis. Although I'm actually pretty unkilled, my school team has always been supportive in understanding and supporting me. It's great to pick up the racket once in a while and play recreationally.