Six of Singapore's Best

Children's books on sports icons aim to inspire and promote the Olympic spirit

- Kimberly Kwek

It is not often that Maximilian Maeder finishes last in a race, but on one occasion during the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, the Singapore kitefoiler constantly found himself at the back of the pack.

These were not races on water, though. Instead, they took place on the virtual racetracks of popular video game Mario Kart, which Maeder and his fellow sailors were playing to unwind during the multi-sport meet in China.

Even though it was just a video game, the teenager — who won a kitefoiling gold medal off the coasts of Ningbo during that Asiad — refused to back down from a challenge.

Recalling the memory in amusement, the 18-year-old said: "I was frustrated so much by that one night of Mario Kart when I finished last, last, last, that I went back, read about it, did research, watched YouTube videos, practised…

"The next day (I) came back and managed to win the races because I was so upset that I finished last in a little video game."

The Paris Olympics bronze medallist reminisced about that episode at *Scape on Aug 5, during the unveiling of Singapore's Sports Champions, a children's book series that celebrates the journeys of eight Singaporean athletes.