It was 8.30 p.m. and we were in the car, on our way to pick Debbie from her gym session. DJ Kimberly Wang from 98.7 opened the line for callers to call-in to participate in the Subaru Challenge. The prize this year was a Subaru XV, with COE and $5,000 petrol voucher from Shell. I have always loved a good challenge. With my Toyota going into its 10th year, it was too tempting not to give this Subaru Challenge a try. I got through on my first try! To cut the long story short, I got in :)
Oct 17, 2015 (Sat)
Heard from a friend that everyone had to go through a draw on the day to determine if they get to participate. I was a little disappointed but again if I don't get to participate, I don't have to suffer also :)
Oct 23, 2015 (Fri)
I received the letter from Mediacorp. I had to produce a medical certificate from a GP to certify that I was fit to take part in the competition.
Oct 26, 2015 (Mon)
Had my health check done at Raffles Medical. Cleared and ready to go :)
Oct 28, 2015 (Wed)
To prepare myself for the "numbness", coach advised me to soak my palm into ice water. He said I must get used to not feeling my palm :) I did that! It was unbearable at first; but I kind of got used to it after.
Oct 30, 2015 (Fri)
My final "combat" attire and diet plan after consulting the coach :)
- SPORTS BRA (good support without having wire or clasp poking me)
- COMPRESSION TIGHTS (it's comfortable, good for blood circulation and black is good for hiding dirt and stains)
- TRACK SHOES, no socks and no lace (Good sole support, socks will trap heat, laceless to accommodate swelling of feet)
Contestants were given 5mins break for food, drink, toilet break, massage or stretching every 6 hours.
- Drink 2 cups of isotonic (Just enough to last 6 hours and not fill the bladder)
- Eat little (I only need 400cal to stand for 6 hours)
- Avoid banana (Excessive potassium and I don't want my stomach to react to the banana)
Oct 31, 2015 (Sat)
Woke up at 6.30 a.m.; had to reach Takashimaya by 7 a.m. for registration. After registration, it was confirmed that we had to draw lots at 10.30 a.m. to determine if we have a spot. Many were sleeping outside Taka or just sitting around, waiting for time to pass. We decided to drive to Killiney for possibly my last proper breakfast :) After breakfast at Killiney, we went back to Taka at 10 a.m.
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| First person from the right (wearing a red tee) |
The queue started at 10.30 a.m. After waiting for 30min, it was my turn to go on stage. The first friend I made in Subaru Challenge was Stella, who was queuing in front of me, she didn't make it. I was mentally preparing myself for disappointment.
R40 belonged to a Hong Kong contestants that couldn't make it for the trip! I drew the WILD CARD! And it proved to be perfect because the foreigners were happy to share and chat with a local. And it was interesting to hear them chatting with their own countrymen throughout the competition :) That definitely kept me alert :)
The position was perfect! I was in Car 1 and my palm position was possibly the best position on that car. My standing position was just beside the railings. I was near to the supporters and air was cooler as I was near to the sides. Some contestants said that it was very humid under the tent. Air condition would only be switched on when PSI hit above 100. But the haze condition was perfect throughout the whole event.
At 12 p.m., we started the briefing and at 1 p.m., the competition started after a massive countdown. And here we go!
The highlight was breaks at 7 p.m., 1 a.m., 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. Every car would take turns for their 5min break and the sequence would be determined by a draw.
At 7 p.m. daily, 1 family member would be allowed to come into contact with the contestants. And every break became a massive mess...:) My strategy was to allocate 1min for every activity; 1min - toilet break, 1min - food, 1min - drink, 1min - massage, 1min - stretch and get back to position.
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| Eating a few mouthful of plain rice |
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| Right side - drinking and get my massage |
Sometimes I tried to save time by doing 2 activities at once. Like bringing the snack to the toilet while I pee :p Or drink and get a massage at the same time. That became my routine for all the breaks.
I didn't have a target timing to hit.... My goal was to take 6 hours at a time. The first contestant dropped out after 22mins!
6 hours, 12 hours, 18 hours, 24 hours! I survived till Nov 1, 2015 (Sun), 1 p.m.
By then, many friends had heard about me and many started to come and support me at Taka. My dear friend shared about me on social media. That attracted many people to pray for me and to play the online game to help me earn an extra 5min break at the 3 hours mark.
I had MANY MANY friends that dropped by to cheer me on. Even strangers stopped by to chat with me. One Indian man offered to be my chauffeur if I win the car :p Many passer-bys took pictures of us. For a moment, I felt like a celebrity... Then later I felt more like an "animal" in a cage as my face got oiler, my hair got messier and I was sure I smelled bad. However, it was heartwarming to know that the public were so supportive and encouraging.
By this time, I definitely surprised myself for surviving thus far...
30 hours, 36 hours, 42 hours, 48 hours! I reached Nov 2, 2015 (Mon, 1 p.m.)
I was the last lady standing and only a few left from Car 1. There was more space to stretch and move around. However, I knew that the worst was yet to come. 1 a.m. - 6 a.m. had always been the hardest period to get by... Time would go extra slow and night turned extra looooooong... And terror really would come by night...
Sunday was bad and Monday was worse... The organiser was playing Ch5 from 1 a.m. - 6 a.m. for both nights. As it was Halloween Weekend, we were "made" to watch TEN episodes of Walking Dead! I am not a fan and was not converted after that... In fact, it was torturing having to watch it while feeling like a "Standing" dead! To keep ourselves awake through the night, the remaining contestants did "Yum Seng" and "Ole Ole" cheers. At 6 a.m., the locals even sang the National Anthem. I guess we were celebrating that the shows had ended and the night had passed...
I thought after surviving 2 nights of watching Walking Dead, what could be worse. Well, Tuesday 1 a.m. - 6 a.m. turned out to be the worst; a nightmare actually...
After all the supporters and friends left at 1 a.m., I immediately lost concentration at close to 2 a.m. I started to hallucinate! I was told that in my state of hallucination, I scolded the people around me and couldn't recall what got me there in the first place. I tried to stay on but I finally succumbed to exhaustion after 63 hours and 53 mins.
63 hours 53 mins! I completed my Subaru Challenge journey! I was Top 16 :) Was there anything I wished I could have done better? Any sense of loss over not winning the car? These were my after thoughts...
- First of all, this is not for the strongest; it is for the luckiest... You have to first call-in to qualify for the draw. Then you have to draw for a palm position.
- It is not a competition for the physical; it is super mental... The challenge is to last the 6 hours of "nothingness" until the next break.
- My greatest gain was the love and support that my family and friends had showed me. Many whom I did not know and might never know were playing online games to help me earn my bonus break. I was told that my picture went viral and the support poured in. Many whatsapp chat groups were discussing about supporting this friend's friend's friend's who needed help to win a bonus break. I didn't get both the 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. bonus breaks. That got the supporters even more fervent :) Finally we got it right when I got my bonus break at Nov 2, 2015 (Mon), 10 p.m. It was our victory :)
- Any regrets of giving up? NO! Because I knew that I could not go on anymore... My body had shut down due to sleep deprivation.
Many commented that I kept my smiles throughout the competition. What kept me going was the love that was poured into my heart. Many came and showed their support. For the love that was shown, I could only return that with a smile. For everyone that came by to take a picture, I wished I could shake your hands or give you a hug. I could only hope that you could feel my appreciation from my smile.
I came home with 2 swollen ankles, 1 bruised toe (I tripped over the stairs during one of the breaks), a smaller appetite and a heart full of love!
Thank you everyone for walking this amazing journey with me. It was a priceless experience.
Especially to JX, sorry you had to go through this with me and the many more nonsense that are coming your way :) I have always loved a challenge and you had to accommodate my craziness. Overnight, you had to become the mother, the maid, the chauffeur and the doctor when Debbie had fever on Sunday night... You told me not to "kill" myself over a free car and that we can always buy one... That really warmed my heart :) And I'm glad I am still alive. Haha.
My BFFs for taking care of not just me, but also my family. You made sure my girls were well-fed and came to visit me after I've rested at home. You stood with me. You cheered me on. You made sure I had company all the time. You made sure I had my bonus breaks. You told me it was painful to watch me in pain. What have I done to deserve 3 of you!
And the many friends that came not just once but many times to cheer me on. Many brought their entire family along. You made the journey less painful and more meaningful :)
And to the Subaru Challenge community that I have come to know during this competition, you guys are amazing! I am amazed that many of you were participating for the 2nd, 4th, 6th and even 8th times!!!
And to the Subaru Challenge community that I have come to know during this competition, you guys are amazing! I am amazed that many of you were participating for the 2nd, 4th, 6th and even 8th times!!!
So... the BIG question is... WILL I DO IT AGAIN?
While I could still feel the pain and the scary moments when I hallucinated, the answer is NO :)
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