This mum runs faster than you

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20 Mar 2020 | PEOPLE

This mum runs faster than you

// Story by Koh Eng Beng

// Photos by Edwin Tan

She's 41, has three kids, and runs faster than you. Meet SAFSA sprinter 3rd Warrant Officer (3WO) Winnie Oh.

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She has won numerous medals in 100m, 200m and 400m races for the Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association (SAFSA) and Singapore in various competitions over the last 10 years.

Here are some of her latest wins:

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Representing SAFSA at 2018 Singapore Masters Open Track and Field Championships:

  • 100m Gold
  • 200m Gold
  • 4x100m Gold
  • 4x400m Gold
3WO Oh (second from left) with her relay teammates at the 2017 Hong Kong Masters Athletic Championship.

Representing Singapore at 2017 Hong Kong Masters Athletic Championship:

  • 4x100m relay Gold
  • 100m Silver
  • 200m Silver

Last year, she was crowned SAFSA Best Sportswoman.

Can you catch up with her?

In 2018, she challenged herself by racing against young sprinters (most of them were almost two decades her junior!) in the Open Category of the SAFSA Track & Field meet.

Her results? She came in first in the 100m event and second in the 200m event!

3WO Oh has consistently maintained her 100m timing at 14 seconds for over 10 years.

Her 100m timing? 14 seconds!

That’s an impressive timing for a 41-year-old. National sprinter Shanti Pereira was 22 years old when she set the national record for the 100m sprint (11.58 seconds) last year.

3WO Oh (far left, standing) conducting a training session for combat engineer specialists. She is currently a WOSPEC recruiter in the Army Recruitment Centre.

As a combat engineer, 3WO Oh's work in the army is hectic. On top of that, she is a busy mother of three who has to take care of her children. Her sons are 23 and nine, and her youngest is her seven-year-old daughter.

Check out how she juggles training with her work and family commitments:

She hopes her achievements on the track will inspire older folks to keep fit. If you are not into sprinting, she has this tip for you:

Do about 10 to 20 minutes of cardio exercises, like jogging, swimming or brisk walking, three times a week.

"You need to keep up a good exercise regime. Also, watch your diet. As we get older, we have to try to cut down on carbohydrates and food with high sugar content."

3WO Oh's advice to older folks on keeping fit
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