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updated 15 Jun 2012, 20:29
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Fri, 13 Apr 2012
The New Paper
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82-year-old grandma is figure-skating champ
by Fabian Koh

Her foray into ice-skating was really done out of boredom as a 46-year-old mother.

Now 82, Dr Gin Lee Wee Kit gracefully and effortlessly drifts across the ice at Kallang Ice World at Kallang Leisure Park.

At an age where many would avoid taking part in strenuous activities, Dr Gin regularly takes to the ice, pirouetting and twirling on the ice with joyful abandon.

Despite hitting the golden years, her interest in ice-skating has not died down.

"When the first ice rink here opened in Jurong in the mid-70s, my son and daughter, who was 12 and 10 respectively, were keen to learn," said the avid figure skater.

She signed them up for courses at the rink in Jurong, which opened in 1974, and sent them for lessons regularly without fail.

Then one day, as she was sitting there watching them float around on the ice, she wondered, "Why don't I try it out for myself?"

Her interest has endured ever since.

When the rink closed in 1976, her passion survived despite being, well, frozen out.

She was right back at it when a new rink, Fuji Ice Palace, opened in 1989 at the former Rex cinema building.

The doctor, who was in her early 60s by then, relocated her clinic from International Plaza to Paradiz Centre, just to feed her ice-skating passion.

She also changed her working hours at International Plaza Clinic, to fit in her hobby into her daily schedule.

She would skate every morning before going to work in the afternoon.

To her dismay, the rink shut down in 1993.

However she, together with many avid skaters, didn't have to wait long before they could get their fill of ice-skating again.

The next year, Fuji Ice Palace opened again at Jurong Entertainment Centre.

"The reopened Jurong rink was very good. There were instructors from China," recalled Dr Gin.

As to how she got started in taking part in competitions, it's quite a funny story.

When skating, Dr Gin met many people of all ages.

"The young ones were very cute, and their mothers were very friendly," said Dr Gin.

"Six of the mothers told me if I flew to Jakarta to take part in an ice-skating competition, they would start picking up the sport."

So that's how, in her 70s, Dr Gin started taking part in ice-skating competitions.

She even surpassed all expectations and won a gold medal in figure skating in that one.


Read the full story here.

 

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At an age where many would avoid taking part in strenuous activities, Dr Gin regularly takes to the ice. (Photo: TNP)
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readers' comments
Best wishes from Dr John Lim to the sprightly doctor who looks half her age.
Posted by drjohnlim on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 at 23:57 PM
I wonder is this article publicized to support the other article on extending Taxi Drivers' age to 76... (??)

Sure looks like..
Posted by mongmonghiak on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 at 18:13 PM

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