WHO’S AFRAID OF FAILURE

Triathelte Scott Ang may be a Presidents’ Scholar studying law at Cambridge University. He may display the kind of polished eloquence reflecting his credentials in public speaking contests. But when he got his PSLE results some 10 years ago as a student at Shuqun Primary, there were no hints of him going so far academically.

His score? A modest 233. It was good for sure but certainly nowhere near the scores one would associate with scholastic achievers. And Scott would be the first to insist he is no typical high flyer. Instead, he describes himself simply as a product of people who believe in him and bring out the best in him, whatever the level of his ability.

After his primary education, his parents, for instance, found him a school that would best fit him even though he had an offer from Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) through the direct schools admissions scheme. This led him to the Singapore Sports School where “I found my true self” not only as an athlete but also a student.

Apart from training as a swimmer and then a triathlete, the self confessed “late bloomer” – who was weak at spelling and reading in his early years – made good academic progress. Eventually, he scored six distinctions in his O levels, and scored 44 out of 45 in his International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma examination at ACS(I), which he joined in Year 5.

Recalling the path he has chosen, the 22-year-old says, “If I had gone the traditional route of getting into a top school just because of prestige, I would have struggled in the company of super smart kids. Choosing a school which suited my abilities and interests, I was able to grow at my own pace, enjoy the learning process and excel.”

That is an understatement, considering he went on to represent Singapore as a triathlete at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games and earn the Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship as well as President’s Scholarship to study law at Cambridge University.

More importantly, his journey has given him unique experiences. Like when he, building on the leadership and confidence developed while at the Sports School, became student council president at ACS(I). Like when he was Singapore’s only representative in 2009 at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Junior Camp and World Championships Junior race held in Australia’s Gold Coast.

Looking back at his various experiences, Scott says he has learnt much from them and grown stronger as a person. Taking the 2010 YOG in Singapore as an example, he notes, “That was just amazing. The feeling of competing in a world class field was very special. I learnt a lot simply by interacting with the other athletes. I saw first hand their remarkable drive, deep sense of purpose and strong desire to give their very best whatever the odds against them.”

These are traits that have served him well as an athlete, a student and, most importantly, a person. Add to them the quality which he feels describes him most – his willingness to embrace failure and learn from it. “I like to aim high and deal with the almost inevitable failure and disappointment. I’m not afraid of failure. It makes me stronger,” he says.

This profound belief in the need to confront failures explains his fascination with the story of swimming legend Michael Phelps. “Like many fans, I was impressed when he won eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But what blew me away even more was that he had the audacity to declare openly his intention to win those gold medals before the competition. And he knew every single gold would be hard earned, given the quality of the world class field.” Yes, for Scott, the real magic of the Phelps story isn’t his phenomenal success but his willingness to confront possible failure – openly, publicly, courageously.