Shannon Khor Jing Hong grew up in a sporting family. His father is an avid badminton player, while his siblings are into athletics and football.
So, it is no surprise that he would one day become a champion athlete, although not in a sport he had heard of when he was a kid.
Khor, who set a Malaysia Games (Sukma) record when winning the 20,000m race walking event in Kuching, Sarawak, dreams of qualifying for next year’s SEA Games in Thailand.
He hopes to qualify for two events – 10,000m and 20,000m. Khor won bronze in the 10,000m event in Kuching.
But it was not an easy journey getting here.
Khor was only five when he started following his father, Peng Huat, to play badminton. He soon developed a knack for it, but a fateful meeting with his primary school’s track and field teacher-adviser changed his life forever.
“I was on the school’s badminton team and training to build my physicality and stamina. One day, I met the school’s teacher-adviser for track and field – Mr Ong – and he suggested I try race walking,” said Khor, who plays the piano in his free time.
“At that time, I had no idea about race walking but thought I should try it. Surprisingly, I found I was good and started entering and winning races.”
As he progressed to secondary school, Khor was juggling the two sports but knew he had to decide on his future.
While badminton was his first love, Khor saw a brighter future in athletics, especially race walking.
It was a wise decision as the 19-year-old set the Sukma record in the 20,000m event in August with a time of 1’34:38.20s.
“I was involved in several track and field events, but my forte was race walking, and I eventually started focusing on it, even though it is not the most glamorous of events,” said Khor, who just completed his A-Levels at Methodist College Kuala Lumpur.
“This year was difficult, as I had to split my time between training for Sukma and my A-Levels. Luckily, the examinations were divided in two, with Sukma in the middle.
“It wasn’t easy, but sports taught me discipline and time management. Now that the exams are over, I’m focusing on qualifying for next year’s SEA Games in Thailand.”
Khor emphasised the importance of setting goals, which has been integral to his success.
“I can’t stress enough how important it is to set clear goals. It helps you focus and avoid burnout, especially when juggling multiple commitments such as training and preparing for examinations,” said Khor, who plans to take a short break to go snorkelling and diving to celebrate the end of his examinations.
“Every night before I go to bed, I plan my next day – from waking up to my meals, activities, and mental preparation for what lies ahead.
“It helps me avoid feeling overwhelmed. When you plan your day in advance, you’re less likely to get stressed. As I’ve learned, stress can be draining.”
Khor said that besides physical endurance, race walking has built his character and taught him resilience.
Most importantly, it introduced him to some inspiring people and taught him valuable lessons about perseverance and focus.
“My two coaches – Lo Choon Sieng and Teoh Boon Lim – have opened my eyes to a plethora of great wisdom and life’s lessons that I know will benefit me for the rest of my life,” said Khor, an avid reader.
“Race walking is a sport unlike others. It is practical, requires minimal equipment – just a good pair of shoes – and you can do it solo.
“It really helped me during the Covid-19 pandemic, when we were confined to our homes during the MCO (Movement Control Order). As we couldn’t go out to meet anyone, I had to train by myself and that helped me build my mental strength – training double sessions all alone. But it has paid off.”
Khor is deeply committed to addressing climate change and plans to study applied earth science and pursue a Master’s in geothermal energy.
“Spending time in nature has shown me how important it is to protect our environment,” said Khor.
“Geothermal energy is a sustainable solution that could help mitigate the effects of climate change, and I want to contribute to that.
“The goal is to study overseas, preferably at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.”
Although he plans to study in Europe, Khor said he would continue to train as race walking is a lifestyle choice.
“My coaches won’t be with me, but the MCO toughened me up, and I know I can train on my own,” said Khor, who enjoys listening to Hans Zimmer’s ‘Frozen Planet’ album.
“I don’t see training as a chore but rather a choice. The day is not complete if I don’t train at least once.
“As an athlete, the Olympics is the pinnacle, but I’m taking it one step at a time – pun unintended.
“I will do my best to focus on studies and training and see how far I can go.”
