As a woman, how many times have you been told that a sport isn’t for you because it’s “rough”, “unladylike” or simply because it’s a “boy’s sport”? Exactly, Tey Huey Shan was getting real tired of people who constantly try to put her in a box too.
Tey has had the urge to join Taekwondo since she was in primary school, but was constantly told no by her parents as they wanted her to prioritize school and other academic activities. Labelled as studious since young, others also had the perception that martial arts were not suited for her as it’s seen as “violent”. But when she turned 20, Tey finally joined her university’s Taekwondo club and went on to win a gold medal in the Poomsae category in the British Student Taekwondo Federation Championship.
Since then, she has developed a stronger affection for the sport. It has transformed her from a bookworm to a more well-rounded person, and has helped her expand her social circles while inculcating in her the values of discipline. Her next goal is to join Malaysia’s national Poomsae team, like Sara Yap who had won the first medal for Malaysia in the last SEA Games.
“I don’t believe age or gender are limitations to pursue a passion, or any other factor for that matter. Any girl should pursue any passion of theirs, at any time. I’ve been labelled studious my whole life, yet martial arts is something I know I can excel in.”
Because of her experiences, Tey also wants to break the stereotype that martial arts is somehow reserve for boys only. With the Kotex SheCan funds provided to her, Tey will be able to pay for her grading fees to First Dan, a prerequisite to join the national team. Combine that with her coaching knowledge, she’ll also be able to purchase training equipment and uniforms for littles girls to motivate them in Taekwondo.
