8 things to know about Chloe Ing, S'pore's SEA Games figure skating gold medalist

Elsa isn't the only ice princess taking Singapore by storm.

Julia Yeo | Jane Zhang | December 02, 2019, 05:56 PM

Singaporean figure skater Chloe Ing won gold at the SEA Games in Manila on Dec. 1.

Previously, Ing won silver at the 2017 SEA Games, which was the first year that figure skating was included as a sport in the competition’s history.

In addition to her successes at the SEA Games, Ing has also seen both national and international success. She is a four-time champion of the Singapore National Figure Skating Championships.

In 2017, she became the first Singaporean figure skater to medal in the senior ladies’ event in an internationally-recognised competition when she won the bronze medal at the Merano Cup in Italy.

Her gold-medal SEA Games performance has captured the attention of many Singaporeans.

Here are some things you should know about Ing:

1. She began skating at age seven

She started formally training when she was seven, after she was inspired by figure skaters she saw on television competing in the winter Olympics.

Her family moved to Canada around the same time, where she has been training since.

However, she still considers Singapore home and has chosen to continue competing for Team Singapore.

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2. She regularly brushes shoulders with international legends

While Ing usually trains in Markham, Ontario, she has also practiced together with world champions Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan and Javier Fernandez of Spain, when she travels to Toronto to train under Brian Orser, one of the most renowned coaches in figure skating.

Of course, being a top figure skater means that you get to hang out with other big names as well.

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3. She is very close to her twin sister

Ing has an older twin sister Chantelle, who is her ‘greatest inspiration’.

image of Chloe Ing and her twin sister Chantelle Image from Instagram via Chloe Ing

Chantelle used to skate competitively as well, until she developed a foot injury in 2011 which hindered her from continuing her athletic career.

In an interview with SG Sports TV, Ing said of her sister:

“She was someone I really looked up to. I mean, we’re only a minute apart, but she was always the… the ethics she had, and the love and passion she had for the sport was something that I really aspired and wanted to be like as well.

...She’s just kind of always there with me. It’s just special to me, to have her there.

...Just to know that she’s been there for me from the beginning, and believed in me through ups and downs… she’s definitely been my role model. She’s been through so much, and she’s come out stronger than before, and I just want to be able to do that too.”

Chantelle has also lavished praise on her sister, most recently in an Instagram post comparing her to other figure skating legends Michelle Kwan, Mao Asada, Yuna Kim, and Mirai Nagasu:

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4. Her favourite place to travel is Japan

In an interview with John Wilson Blades, one of the leading figure skate blade manufacturing companies, she spoke about how she always enjoys the culture of Japan.

She explained that she finds the people there to be very polite, kind, and supportive of figure skating. She also raved about the food and range of sightseeing in Japan.

Here’s a photo of Ing competing in Sapporo, Japan for the Asian Winter Games in 2017:

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5. She is musically inclined

Ing's musicality shines clearly through her skating, but she also has musical talents outside of the rink.

She enjoys singing, and has posted some videos on her Instagram, such as this one:

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She played the piano for more than 10 years growing up, and has clearly not lost her touch:

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She said in the John Wilson Blades interview that she also hopes to learn to play the guitar in the future.

Talk about being multi-talented.

6. In an alternate universe, she might have been a medical professional

In the same interview, Ing shared that if she hadn’t decided to continue with skating, she likely would have pursued medical school, as she is interested in the field.

She guessed that she might have either become a sports doctor or a surgeon, as she enjoys watching surgery videos on YouTube.

7. She believes in using her platform for good

Ing has publicly touched on issues close to her heart, such as eating disorders and mental health.

In November, she posted about Perfectly Imperfect, a small business that aims to raise awareness about eating disorders.

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She shared why she personally advocates for more awareness of eating disorders and mental health issues:

"EDs affect so many worldwide, and with figure skating being a performance sport, the prevalence is greater than we can imagine. I've seen friends and people close to me struggle with EDs and mental health for years, and Perfectly Imperfect's message really resonated within me."

On Suicide Awareness Day (Sept. 9) this year, Ing posted a video on Instagram of her singing Charlie Puth's "One Call Away," reminding her followers in the caption that "help is only one call away."

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She shared why she chose to post about this topic:

"Although I don't have the largest following, I want to utilize my platform in a positive manner to inspire my audience and spread awareness on causes I advocate for.

The importance of mental health and having succor being available to all is one of those causes."

8. She has big dreams of representing her country

Ing said in a documentary that she aims to represent Singapore at the Olympics.

Currently, there has been no Singaporean figure skater that has made it to the Olympics yet.

The only two Southeast Asian figure skaters who have made it to the Olympics are Julian Yee from Malaysia and Michael Martinez from the Philippines.

Despite having moved to Canada for over 14 years, Ing is proud to speak of her love for Singapore. She said in the documentary:

"I was born in Singapore. Singapore is ultimately my home.

I feel like I want to represent Singapore; I want to showcase it, I just want to make my country proud of me."

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Top image via @chloexling/IG, Annice Lyn/Getty Images