Maximilian Maeder Kitefoiler out to make Max-imum impact on others

Some time after the 2024 Paris Olympics, a young boy was spotted running along the beach at East Coast Park, holding a string with a plastic bag attached to it.

- Kimberly Kwek

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong asked the boy what he was doing, to which he replied, "I'm kitefoiling".

While Singaporean kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder did not witness this, the story, told to him by Mr Tong, struck a chord.

It demonstrated to Maeder the impact he has had on others since winning a historic bronze at the Paris Games.

The 18-year-old said: "It's something that's out in the wild, it's something that is surprising because of what it takes to capture a boy's imagination...

"First the information has to reach him, then he has to like it, and then he has to feel inspired by it.

"Having something like that captured on the beach touches me because it means there is a surprising amount of reach that I didn't know I had."

It has been a stellar season for the teenager, who won nearly all the events on the international kitefoiling circuit in 2024, including the European and world championships.

In August, he became Singapore's youngest Olympic medallist when he claimed bronze at the Marseille Marina.