© Zakaria Zainal

There’s No “I” in “Team”

Anyone who thinks individual sports like a triathlon ultimately depend on one person is way off. In fact, the opposite is true. Jil Teo, Senior Regional Product Manager at ZEISS in Singapore, was inspired by a great team that encouraged her to cross the finish line.

She just loves a challenge – and preferably, several at a time. Speaking to Jil Teo will leave you in no doubt of her enthusiasm. She works at ZEISS in Singapore as Regional Product Manager for ophthalmic systems and looks after customers there as well as in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. And as if that wasn’t enough, distance learning programs enabled her to earn a BA in Marketing and an MA in Management from the University of Ireland.

“After graduating in 2017, I felt I needed a new challenge,” says Teo. It’s no coincidence that she opted for something sports-related. At school, she entered swimming competitions like the 100-meter freestyle and the 50-meter breaststroke, and always finished in the top three. In the past decade, she’s run about 20 half-marathons in Singapore and Australia. So it was really only a matter of time before she attempted the full 42 kilometers. This doesn’t make any difference to her regular workout routine because pressure is put on the same muscles and joints no matter how far she runs – which is why she opted for a triathlon.

SKY HIGH Jil Teo lives in the fast-paced city state of Singapore.

The keys to a happy, active lifestyle

Jil Teo's First Triathlon: 1.5 km of swimming – 54:24 min 36.2 km of cycling – 1:27:10 min 9.7 km of running – 1:08:16 min

“I thought the combination of swimming, cycling and running would allow me to get even fitter,” says Teo. After all, that’s what it all comes down to: “Our health is our most valuable asset. And I’m totally convinced that a balanced diet and a happy, active lifestyle are the keys to achieving this.” She hopes her first triathlon will help her meet her target. Then again, you will only have a great triathlon if you’re already fit and healthy. 1.5 kilometers of swimming in open water, 40 kilometers of cycling and 10 kilometers of running correspond to the distances of an Olympic triathlon. Teo, who has retained her youthful demeanor, recognizes the importance of thorough preparation. She thought the running portion of the event would be a breeze, but wanted to gear up for the other two parts. To prepare for the swimming, Teo got herself a coach who created a personal training plan and gave her pointers on her technique.

Our health is our most valuable asset

Jil Teo, Senior Regional Product Manager at ZEISS in Singapore

“I’d never cycled competitively before,” admits Teo. “The first thing to do was to buy a suitable bike. In order to develop a real passion for cycling, I decided to join a group that goes out for regular training sessions. That helped me tremendously.” Not only did she meet other sports enthusiasts, she also made new friends. “Right from the get-go, the group motivated me to keep pace and really work on myself. That was probably what kept me motivated,” she says. 

To ensure she never lost sight of her goal, Teo used another tactic: “I told a lot of people that I wanted to take part in the triathlon in the summer. My family, friends and colleagues all knew that I was training for it. So they helped me stay motivated and keep working on myself.”

Looking back, the biggest challenge was probably to maintain a high level of enthusiasm in the run-up to the competition. “I had to train five or six times a week; 60 to 90 minutes on weekdays and up to three hours on the weekend,” says Teo. In addition to her regular workout and running sessions, she completed 90-minute training blocks for swimming and cycling tours of up to 70 kilometers. The ambitious sportswoman doesn’t talk about any of it being arduous. That’s hardly surprising – as if the triathlon wasn’t enough of a challenge, in the past year she has completed seven major hikes in Australia, China, Malaysia, Korea and Thailand.

© Zakaria Zainal

Work Hard, Play Hard

Teo was determined not to let any of her training stand in the way of the great job she was doing at the office. In spite of her jam-packed training schedule, she went over and above in terms of achieving her professional goals. She is the Head of the Compass Wellness project in Singapore, where she plans and runs programs to promote a happier and healthier working environment for ZEISS staff. She also organizes trips as a team building initiative.

This almost makes the triathlon itself sound like an afterthought – but for Teo, of course, crossing the finish line was the ultimate reward. She completed the race in Singapore in around four hours. What a great feeling it was – as well as a way of encouraging Teo to keep fit. This year she’ll be a little less sporty but more focused on her career. She now works as Regional Business Development Manager and is as passionate about her new duties as she was about her first triathlon – and she’s got a plan and a great team behind her.

 

NEW EQUIPMENT Teo had to buy the right bike before she could cycle like a pro. A training group encouraged her to take up cycling.