We Can Match Or Better Malaysia: S'pore's Tan

In a sport that has little margin for error, where any misstep is magnified in the form of a big splash, it is no surprise that national diver Ashlee Tan is a doctor.

- David Lee

Currently serving her housemanship at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, the 24-year-old sees similarities between her career and her sport.

She told The Straits Times: "Both medicine and diving have a lot of technical aspects about them and I have to pay attention to the technical details in each field.

"Also, I have to be very disciplined to juggle training, studying and work."

Each work day, she wakes up at 5.45am, begins her shift at the hospital at 6.30am and rushes to training from 5.30pm to 8.30pm, before going to bed at 10.30pm. The daily grind is exhausting, but Tan persists because of her love for the sport.

The former primary school gymnast first tried diving at age 11 and was hooked.

She said: "People ask why am I still doing this given my schedule, because most people just want to go home and chill after a long day of work.

"But I really enjoy the feeling of flipping in the air and the sensation of a clean entry into the water. Besides that, I also have a strong desire to perfect my dives and succeed in competitions, which pushes me to go for training even after work."