These kids are making a headway living a healthy lifestyle.
Contributed By Dawn Lee
A contestant of the stroller chase.
Start them early, they say. Koen Wong is only 6 years old, but this is already his second time taking part in the Cold Storage Kids Run (part of the Marina Bay Urban Challenge) on May 22.
The Cold Storage Kids Run, organized by Enterprise Sports Group, began in 2008 and is organized specially for children to encourage them at a young age to adopt a healthy lifestyle of exercise and eating right. Children can take part in a range of categories according to their age: Competitive 1.6km, Competitive 800m, Fun Run 1.6km, Fun Run 800m and even an 800m stroller chase.
Koen and his friends find it fun to run together in a group. “To them, this is fun and not in any way competitive,” said Koen’s mother, Elaine Ng. Ng sees the run as a good introduction to a sporty lifestyle for her son.
Tired but not without a sense of achievement. From left, Jayden Tan, 5, Christal Song, 6, Koen Wong, 6, Jodyn Chow, 7, Beatrice Chng, 5 and Ethan Chai, 6.
Throughout the run, many parents could be seen motivating and spurring their child on as they ran. “It is a good time of bonding between parents and children as some of the categories require a parent to run together with a child,” said Jenny Lim, mother to 6-year-old Christal Song. For most of the parents City News spoke to, minimal preparation was required in the weeks and days leading up to the run.
When it comes to a healthy lifestyle, parents are without a doubt, the best role models. “My husband’s enthusiasm in running has definitely rubbed off onto our two children, said Sally Tan, mother to Sherise, 5, and Seifer, 4. “Sherise is only 5 but she ran continuously throughout the 800m race. I’m so proud of her!”
