[Feature picture credits to Jasmine Goh]

Who says working mothers do not have time to stay fit? Are you a working mother who thinks this way too? Well, Jasmine Goh is here to dispel all that thought and prove you wrong! She is a career lady, avid marathon runner and a single mother of two.

Jasmine Goh

Jasmine Goh, aged 40, is an avid marathon runner who only picked up running in 2011. Despite that, she has managed to clock some very impressive finishes at the races! One of her big achievements is having represented Singapore for the 2017 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and finishing 4th overall. She had only started training for SEA Games in 2016! She also won TransLantau 100km 2018 in Hong Kong with only 2 months of training. With all this time and energy spent running and training, you would think she has no other commitments, but that is where you are wrong. Jasmine has a full-time job as an independent financial advisor with Avallis Financial. She is also a single mother to two beautiful girls, Cherish and Faith. She also represents Under Armour as the brand ambassador!

The 42race team was very fortunate to be able to interview her. Here is how Jasmine gets her inspiration, time and motivation to juggle different aspects of her life.

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Back in 2011, I was a stay-at-home mother with two young children. They had just started attending childcare and I was preparing to go back to the workforce. At that time, I wanted to lose weight and I found running to be an extremely convenient sport. After all, all you need is a pair of running shoes and yourself! Hence, I decided to pick it up.

Divine intervention I guess?! I had just started running when Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS) 2011 held a roadshow near my office. They were getting people to register for their marathon. I was very intrigued by the idea of running a marathon- all 42.195km of it! Though I couldn’t even run 3km at that time, I decided to give myself a challenge- to complete my first marathon in just four months.

They are mostly lifestyle changes. I cut down carbohydrates like rice and incorporated healthier options to my food choices. I stopped drinking coffee and tea because of the amount of caffeine in it, instead choosing to stick to plain filtered water. Rest is also important for the body’s recovery, so I aim to get adequate amount of sleep every day. I practise intermittent fasting, which means I don’t eat anything before 12pm.

I recognised that it takes time to break any habit, so I focused on why I wanted to become healthier and I constantly reminded myself to have the discipline to follow a process, hence I was able to stay on track. Of course, I had cheat days where I rewarded myself with my favourite snacks too, because I know it is not sustainable to suddenly cut all unhealthy habits from my life at one go. The danger in doing so and not giving yourself any leeway is that you are more likely to experience more cravings and cave in to binges! So my advice is always to take it slow and make sure your plans are manageable for both you and your body. Anything that is too abrupt is not good.

In the morning, I go for my training runs, usually at the park connector near my house, or Sengkang Riverside Park. Then I head to work. In the evening, I head home for family time. My day is always packed with activities and things to do!

I rely on a good sense of time management to balance all of these commitments. Managing everyone’s expectations is crucial too, because my running coach, my family and my colleagues will have different expectations of me. I am fortunate that my kids are older now, so it is easier for me to balance everything as I do not always have to be by their sides. I remember when my children were younger, I had to run on the same spot for 2 hours just to do my slow long run (we runners know this as ‘LSD’) because one of my children was sick and I could not head outside to do my run (talk about dedication!)

Jasmine's two daughters, Cherish and Faith

That is totally not true! I am looking younger and younger every day. My body also feels better now than it was in my early 30s and I have never felt more fit than now. It’s like reverse ageing! We mothers tend to lose focus on ourselves when we start a family, and we neglect caring and loving ourselves. We start placing the needs of others, especially our children, before ours. However, I feel that self-love is like putting on the oxygen mask for ourselves first before putting it for others. When you take really good care of yourself, you become happier and healthier. You start having more love and energy to give to your children, your family and basically everyone around you. This is the balance I think all mothers should strive for. Neglecting your own needs for others isn’t a healthy thing to do in the long run. When I started running, my intention was to be a good role model for my daughters, who will be mothers one day too. I want them to know they must love themselves enough first before they can give love to others. You can do so by making time for yourself! Only when your emotional ‘bank account’ is full can you pay it forward to those around you.

I think children are generally very active beings. They love being outdoors and would play all day if they could! I encouraged my girls to start running too, and they have done several races of up to 5.5.km already. I also think it is important for them to be active, so I make time to take part in some sports together, such as cycling and swimming.

Cherish and Faith having fun in the sun!

I always say, “Not everyone reading this article right now can run a marathon, but almost everyone reading this can start preparing for a marathon!” Basically, just start taking action. It doesn’t matter where you are right now. Just start from where your current fitness allows. I recall struggling with a 2.5km run in my nearby park when I first started running, but now I run marathons and even represented my country in SEA Games. Point is, no matter how fit one is, he or she had to start from zero too. Everyone can do it!

Jasmine running in the Great Ocean Road Marathon 2019

I climb the stairs whenever possible. Add some simple workouts, like squats that you can do in the office pantry. HIIT workouts are short. There are HIIT workouts that are as short as 10 minutes. You can do one in the morning before your day starts, just like me. YouTube has loads of HIIT videos you can watch and follow. No excuses!

I do not have anyone in mind. But I do appreciate it when runners share their unique running journeys and stories with me. Everyone who finds time to stay active inspires me.

I love my body! There are too many favourite parts of my body to choose hahaha. I cannot think of any parts I dislike the most but my mother thinks my legs are too short to run fast LOL!

I have a few, though. First would be the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2011, as it was my first marathon. You know the saying… who can ever forget their first love? Second would be Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2016, as it was my first win out of all the marathons I ran in Singapore! Lastly would be the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2017, where I achieved my personal best of 2h54min.

It is a sport that allows someone ordinary like me to accomplish extraordinary things!

Clinching second position in the Great Ocean Road Marathon 2019!

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us." - Marianne Williamson

Ladies, be brave and become the shining light you are always meant to be, for your family, especially your kids. Step up in ways that you can, for your health and well-being. Your family will benefit from a happier, healthier you.

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We believe running is for everybody and we hope Jasmine’s story inspires you. If you are inspired to start living a healthier life and not make anymore excuses to avoid exercising, explore our runs! We have a plethora of runs for you and your family. Have fun running!

A huge thank you to Jasmine for being so spontaneous and agreeing to this interview despite her busy schedule!

Check out Jasmine's channels:

1. Facebook

2. Instagram