HPB Voices Reloaded

Taking it one step at a time, Sharifa Norliza from NHLP (AHP) has left her mark at the recent Standard Chartered Half-Marathon in December 2005. This is an inspiring story of her achievement…

I did not use to be keen on running, although I had led a very active lifestyle playing hockey and softball in my school days.

When living in the United Kingdom, after marriage and giving birth, I indulged in boxes of cookies and started to put on weight. On returning to Singapore, I decided I had enough of my obese frame and signed up for a gym membership. My pet activities then were dancing and aerobics.

My sister was, on the other hand, a seasoned runner, and was trying to persuade me to join her for marathons. She eventually encouraged me to train myself to be ready for one. Once I began the training, I finally gave in to her persistence and tried a public run.

From then on, there was no looking back. In 2002, I completed the Terry Fox run which was 3.2 km. It was really tough for me due to my more than 100 kg frame that had built up from my pregnancy days. I decided to be more disciplined in my training with weights and aerobic exercise. These helped me to lose weight. Joining HPB also helped me to train more regularly with my colleagues and to be more aware of my diet.

I continued to build up my stamina gradually and subsequently went for the 5 km JP Morgan run and even a 12 km Sheares Bridge Run (SBR) in September 2004. Even though I experienced headaches and cramps during the SBR, I pushed on to finish the grueling journey. I have also completed other races such as the New Balance Corporate Triathlon and the Singapore Exchange Bull Run in 2005.

In December 2005, I successfully completed a 21 km Standard Chartered Half-Marathon under 3 hours, despite suffering from food poisoning and having to make toilet stops along the way. I give credit to my partner for encouraging me and running with me throughout the race.

My parting words about the marathon experience?

If I can do it, anybody can do it too!