“In my early Sports School days, I was the slowest of the batch” – Dipna Lim Prasad, holder of three national records

By Sasha Christian/Red Sports

Dipna Lim Prasad in action during the 2011 SEA Games. She’s the current national record holder for the 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, and 200m. (Photo by Nicky Loh/Getty Images for SSC)

Dipna Lim Prasad, 22, broke the 29-year-old national record for the 200 metres on October 6, 2013, when she clocked a time of 24.36 seconds at the Singapore U-23 Open Track and Field Championships.

This past Sunday, October 20, Dipna, rewrote the 400m hurdles record with a 60.36s finish at the Malaysian Open Track and Field Championships in Kuala Lumpur. She had set the previous mark of 60.58s at the Singapore Open Track and Field Championships in June 2013.

Dipna, a student of Nayang Technological University, also holds the 100m hurdles record with a 14.23s timing that she set at the Taiwan Open on May 28, 2011.

Her next quest: the South-east Asian (SEA) Games.

We catch up with her – not literally, of course – to talk about her progression as an athlete and the upcoming games.

Sasha Christian: Tell me about how you started sprinting.
Dipna Lim Prasad: I bounced around events a lot in my early Singapore Sports School days as I was the slowest of the pioneer batch. I came in as an 800m runner, went to long distance, then to hurdles, sprints, jumps and finally landed back and settled into the sprints group, all in my first year.

What has kept you going through the years?
Dipna: My love for running.

What is it about running that you love?
Dipna: I’m not quite sure. I’ve been running so long, I can’t really pinpoint what exactly appeals to me. It’s part of my identity now.

You joined the Sports School in 2004. What made you decide to study there?
Dipna: I wanted to run as much as possible. Sports School is the only institution in Singapore that encourages you and gives you the opportunity to keep training.

What was the experience like for you in Sports School as an athlete?
Dipna: It was great. You’d have really strong training partners, who were also your best friends, pushing each other. It gave a lot of social and emotional support and you never felt like you were alone. It feels much lonelier now when you’re training usually by yourself because your schedule is irregular.

From your point of view, what are the major differences between school sports at A, B and C Division level, and IVP (Institute-Varsity-Polytechnic) level?
Dipna: In my opinion, which may be very different from the norm as I was in Sports School and my IVP experience is restricted to my time in NTU, in secondary school there was more camaraderie and the vibe of the competitions are really different. You can really feel the energy when you’re in the stadium, especially on the final day when schools send down their army of students to cheer. In IVP, it’s much more chill.

Now that you are in university, how do you manage both training and school?
Dipna: It’s tough! It takes a lot of will power to drag myself out of bed. Hahaha. I’m basically in the Sports School for 12 hours a day now as I’m currently completing my internship at the Sports School (as part of my six-month attachment for my Year 4, Semester 1). It’s a lot easier because I don’t have to travel so much and my colleagues are genuinely supportive so it’s a happy environment to work in.

I also get a lot of help from my loved ones. My coach, Slava (Viatcheslav Vassiliev), works outside of his work hours to train myself and other Sports School alumni like T. Piriyah, Wendy Enn who are bound for the SEA Games as well. My family, boyfriend and friends are always very encouraging and supportive. They shift their schedules to fit mine, something I’m very grateful for.

Congrats on breaking the 200m national record during the U-23 Open. Were you training for that race?
Dipna: Thanks! My focus this year has been on the 400m hurdles.

So how did you end up running the 200m?
Dipna: The 400m is my main focus for the year in terms of individual events, but my coach likes to register me for events he thinks I would excel in at that point in time. The 200m is also a good gauge for my speed endurance.

What was going through your mind when you realized you had set a new record?
Dipna: Haha. My reaction wasn’t very exciting. It was more practical than anything. A coach had told me I broke the record. I asked him for my official time, confirmed that it was electronic timing and if the wind speed was legal.

You broke two records this month. Ever had such a month like this before in track?
Dipna: No! I don’t think so. It’s really quite exciting – and scary at the same time.

With the SEA Games coming up, what goals have you set for yourself?
Dipna: I would really like to run a good race for both the 400m hurdles and 4x400m. I believe that if you focus on your race and run well, a good timing – and maybe result – would follow.

Talk me through your preparation.
Dipna: I’ve been juggling a lot of things. I usually train in the early morning before work, and then I work normal work hours. When I get off work, it’s dinner and then I’m working on my school work or am trying to reach out to sponsors to support me for full time training next year. I’m in bed by 11pm. There’s not enough time in the day.

All of us at Red Sports wish Dipna Lim Prasad all the best at the 2013 SEA Games! Do drop Dipna a note of support in the comments section if you can. We’re sure she’ll appreciate it. Upload photos showing your support of Dipna Lim Prasad on Instagram using #ourteamsg, or on the campaign’s website: www.ourteamsg.com