The secret to scoring 100 points? My dog
LTA Felicia Yap has been scoring 100 points for IPPT for four consecutive years. Find out how she does it, in the third of our 100-pointer IPPT series.Story by Teo Jing Ting // Photos by Chua Soon Lye & courtesy of LTA Yap
She's one of those girls you'd envy – the type who eats a lot, loves her carbs and sweets but still manages to stay slim and toned.
Fried chicken, fries, bread, cakes, ice-cream – these are some of Lieutenant (LTA) Felicia Yap's favourite food. Her trick to burning them off? Running every single day.
This is all thanks to her running buddy, or furry four-legged companion, Boba. Ever since she got him in 2019, LTA Yap has been running with him so that he gets his required daily exercise.
"I don't usually watch my diet, that's why I try to exercise to burn off whatever I eat. I love my carbs, fried food and desserts… so if I don't run, I don't think I can maintain my weight," said the Air Warfare Officer from the Republic of Singapore Air Force's 160 Squadron with a laugh.
Keeping fit also comes with another advantage – the 31-year-old has been getting 100 points for her IPPT for four consecutive years since 2019.
Find out what else she does to maintain her track record!
LTA Yap, were you always so slim?
LTA Yap: No… I actually put on weight easily! I used to be about 60kg back in my secondary school days as I was eating a lot of fast food. My weight subsequently dropped to about 54kg after I took up running and doing cross country in junior college. Then these recent few years, I started to run a lot more (because of Boba) so I’m currently about 48kg.
Ahh, so your secret to staying slim and toned is actually getting a dog lah…
LTA Yap: (laughs) Well, to be honest I started running a lot more after getting Boba ’cos he needs to clock his daily exercise. But it’s a good thing ’cos it forces me to run and I gained a running buddy too!
What is your training regime like?
LTA Yap: I run minimally 4km every day. Sometimes, I’ll run up to 8 or 10km, depending on Boba. At work, I try to gym twice a week. I’m also in the SAFSA dragon boat team, so we train once a week. Occasionally, I will cycle with friends or once a week, if I’m cycling alone.
So what motivates you to maintain your 100-pointer record for IPPT?
LTA Yap: In the old IPPT format where they had five stations, my worst station was actually the standing broad jump. When they changed to the new format in 2019, it became much easier for me to get a higher score. That was also the first year that I achieved 100 points.
Subsequently, this 100 points became a standard to maintain because I don't want people to think that I got it by sheer luck.
In that case, any tips for those who want to do better for their IPPT?
LTA Yap: With this new IPPT system, you can do your training at home. Try doing push-ups every alternate day and clock at least 60 throughout the whole day.
When nearing the IPPT date, increase the number to about 100 so that you know you are capable of doing more than required and not feel the strain on the test day. For 2.4km, just keep running regularly so that you know that you can push beyond your threshold.
