'I LOVE PUTTING SMILES ON PEOPLE'S FACES'

Max says whirlwind engagements with fans are precious, as he's not here often

- Deepanraj Ganesan

While she is not really a sports fan, Secondary 3 student Elsbeth Chan was nonetheless drawn to Maximilian Maeder's bronze medal-winning feat at the Paris Olympics.

In an example of his ability to transcend sports, the 17-year-old kitefoiler, who made history as Singapore's youngest Olympic medallist, inspired her to do better in her studies, said the Singapore Chinese Girls' School student.

Elsbeth and her friend Faith Law, both 15, presented Maximilian with a bouquet of flowers and handwritten cards during a meet-and-greet session on Aug 24 at VivoCity's FairPrice Xtra hypermarket with about 80 fans turning up.

"We took this chance to thank him for what he has done for Singapore," said Faith. "I missed the previous opportunities to meet him in person until today.

"His personality is really nice and he is so humble, he also inspires me to do my best in what I do."

Elsbeth said: "I think what Max is doing on the world stage also inspires me to do better in my studies.