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Singaporean Olympic swimmer Quah Zheng Wen has completed his Basic Military Training (BMT), the Singapore Army announced in a Facebook post on Sunday (Dec. 6).
The post featured reflections from Quah, along with five others from his batch of recruits who graduated at the same time as him.
Found similarities between BMT and competitive swimming
The 25-year-old had recently enlisted for National Service after being granted a six-year deferment to train for the 2015 and 2020 Olympics.
In his reflections, Quah said he found some similarities between BMT and competing on the international stage for swimming.
In particular, Quah said the sense of camaraderie he felt in BMT was a "big help" as it was similar to what he experienced in his collegiate programme for swimming.
"I'm proud that we finished what we started together," he added.
Quah elaborated on his personal growth over the course of his BMT:
"Through my experiences in BMT, I know now with more certainty what I am capable of and it makes me more confident. I plan to continue racing for the country, so that we can fly our flag high on the international stage."
He also stressed that though he wanted to commit his efforts to training instead, he knew that serving NS was a "duty" and is "something all men need to go through".
Quah Ting Wen is a "proud sis"
Quah's sister, Quah Ting Wen reposted her brother's feature on her Instagram stories, and added the caption "proud sis".
Screenshot via Instagram.
Ting Wen, who also represented Singapore in the Tokyo Olympics, previously shared with Mothership how much she enjoyed hearing stories about NS from her brother whenever he booked out.
Though she was initially worried that her brother might have problems interacting with the other NS mates because of their age gap, she said that he likes his bunkmates and they got along well.
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Top image via Our Singapore Army/FB