Meet Chloe Ing: A Singapore-Canadian figure skater who is the 2019 Southeast Asian Games champion, 2017 SEA silver medalist and four-time senior national champion. We sat down with Chloe as she shared with us her passion for figure skating and how it all started.
Tell us more about yourself. What does a typical day look like in your life?
Hi everyone! I'm Chloe Ing - a team Singapore figure skater, the 2019 SEA Games champion, 4-time national champion and an undergraduate Psychological and Health Sciences student at the University of Toronto. My usual schedule has drastically changed during this unprecedented time but I try my best to maintain a routine. I make time everyday to workout and get some studying done. On my day off I try to relax and find time to practice self-care!
Figure skating isn’t a particularly popular sport here in tropical Singapore, so, what ignited your passion for figure skating and how did you get started in it?
When I was very young I remember watching the Winter Olympics with my sister – I was mesmerized by some of the skaters on the television. I remember how gracefully Michelle Kwan floated across the ice and when I saw Sasha Cohen performing her signature I-spin, I looked at my mother and told her "I want to do that too". Eventually, we signed up for skating lessons and I haven't looked back since. The I-spin is actually one of my signature moves now!
Having had to work hard to reach for the pinnacle of your sport, can you share a memorable story (or two) that might inspire other women like you to pursue their dreams in figure skating?
My SEA Games experiences are definitely one of my most memorable athletic memories! After the 2017 SEA Games, I skated a disappointing short program and despite winning the free program, I still fell a little short (ultimately scores are all in the judges’ hands in this sport!).
Nevertheless, I was proud and happy to have been able to come back after the short program and bring home a silver medal. However, I made a promise to myself that in two years’ time I wanted to compete at the 2019 SEA Games and put out an even better performance.
I kept that promise to myself! Once I finished my 2019 SEA Games free program I remember saying to myself: "I did it". Regardless of whether or not I won the gold, I felt like all my hard work and dedication paid off - I put out some of the best performances, achieved new personal bests and beat the previous SEA Games record by nearly 20 points.
I hope my story can inspire people to continue chasing after their goals and aspirations because they are 100% achievable. It's never easy and often there are hurdles to overcome, but if you set your mind to something and are willing to put the work in, anything's possible.
Who inspires you the most or continues to inspire you?
My twin sister Chantelle and my mother are the two most inspiring people in my life. I've been very blessed to have been able to grow as an athlete and a person with these two beautiful, strong women as my role models.
They've both been through so much but despite any obstacles or hardships, they've always managed to overcome them and become stronger in the process. They have always inspired me to work towards becoming a better person.
It’s been well documented that self-care is an important contributor to our mental wellbeing. With such a hectic schedule, how do you find time to relax, unwind and take care of yourself?
I agree that self-care is something important that everyone should try their best to make time for. Usually, with training, I have one designated day-off; I take the time to practice my self-care, which also includes finishing my schoolwork! That way, I have the rest of the day to dedicate to me-time.
As a figure skater living in Canada, you are regularly exposed to cold, dry air in the rink. What is a typical skincare ritual you do to protect your skin and how has it changed since moving from Singapore?
With a busy schedule, I try to adhere to as simple a routine as possible - usually three (3) steps in the morning and a slightly longer routine at night to help repair my skin while I sleep.
The rinks can be really cold, so I always use a moisturizer in the morning and carry some extra cleanser and moisturizer with me in case I need a quick refresh after a really intense session or work-out. My skincare routine otherwise hasn't changed much, and I still use sunscreen regularly! I can’t stress enough how important SPF is!
Living in Canada for most of your life, what were some of the things that you missed most about Singapore?
It's too hard to pick one thing but definitely FOOD (especially ban mian and char kway teow). All my favourite foods and hawker dishes are not available in Canada! I’ll usually bring things like laksa, kaya, and pandan cake back to Toronto with me. But food aside, I also dearly miss my family, the year-long warm weather, and being surrounded by trees and greenery all the time.
Here at ABX, we believe that beauty is about living and projecting our lives with confidence in who we are but the definition can be a fickle one. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, as the saying goes. What does beauty mean to you?
As cliche as it may sound, I truly do believe beauty comes from within. In my experience, beauty is a complex combination of someone’s traits, uniqueness and love for others. In other words, beauty is more than something physical; beauty can be found in how we treat other people and ourselves. Regardless of physical appearances, someone who is able to inspire you or make a positive impact (big or small) is someone beautiful to me.
What are your goals in the future?
At the moment I’ve been focusing on training and trying to improve everyday. I'm also working on completing my undergraduate degree! I still have really big dreams and ultimately my goal in life is to do something meaningful with it. I know that’s a fairly general answer but I also want to keep an open mind and accept whatever life has to show me!
Lastly, what is a quote you live by?
“Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.”
I'm not sure who this is by but it reminds me that things will get better, even through what may seem to be the lowest and darkest of times.
