For Weightlifter Jie Ling Koay, It's All About Empowerment

For weightlifter Jie Ling Koay, strength training has become a vital form of exercise for her. As an athlete who occasionally competes professionally, the sport is something that rewards her with more than just physical strength and brazen musculature.

“Strength training is a big part of my training in the gym and it's something that truly makes me feel empowered and myself. It helped me become stronger mentally and physically over the years and prove to myself that I don't need to look a certain way or have abs to lift,” says Koay.

What motivated you to pick up weightlifting?

5 to 6 years ago, I came across an old friend's social media account – we had both left our hometown and moved to Kuala Lumpur. She is this physically petite girl, but she was doing a heavy squat in the video and I thought that it was rather impressive. I went for a trial class at her gym and the rest is history.

I discovered that I had strength that I had not known before and it felt good. And when the techniques and different movements were introduced, it became really fun and interesting. So I found out that I enjoy it – the process and the part where I surprise myself from time to time.

It is no secret that strength training physically alters your body type. Was this a concern you had before fully committing to the sport?

Oh yes! There's this myth that you get bulkier because you lift – it’s not true. You need to eat a lot more and do a lot more to get bigger, but weightlifting does change your body shape. My body has definitely changed over time.

It wasn't a concern. I liked what I was doing. It makes me happy and I feel good doing it so there's no reason to stop really. And you can always alter clothes to fit your change in shape.

What are your intentions when signing up for competitions?

I like the routine of going in to train – it's one thing that's certain when I have a chaotic work schedule. As a workaholic, there are days when work becomes too much, and I don't want to do anything else. But showing up [to training] always makes me feel better.

Registering for competitions gives me a focus – it’s like a little finish line. It's become a space where I can focus on something else besides work. Each competition experience is a bit different. My first competition was for the experience. I enjoyed the adrenaline rush and setting goals for myself.

I used to be afraid of not being good enough to compete, but then I realised it's [about] me and myself. There was one competition where my goal was just to lift heavy [weights] without pain, as I was recovering from an injury. Throughout the training process, that was the goal.

There was another competition where I was just going with my friends. You realise that all of the hard work is during the months of training. And when you're finally at the finish line and have done everything you can, it's time to enjoy it.