Ice skater Anja has a cool plan to prove her critics wrong

National short-track speed skater Anja Chong won a gold medal in the Ladies 1000m short track speed skating during the 29th SEA Games Kuala Lumpur 2017 at Malaysia National Ice Skating Stadium (MyNISS) in Kuala Lumpur, yesterday. MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star.

PETALING JAYA: Facing negativity is a norm when one tries to make it in a less popular sport and national speed skater Anja Chong (pic) has had to endure some unbearably icy remarks.

The 24-year-old Anja, however, is far from frozen by her detractors. She has chosen a cool response – and that is to make her critics eat their words when her moment arrives.

Anja has decided to come out of retirement and make her mark in the ice skating competition at the Philippines SEA Games in December.

Anja grabbed the headlines at the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games when she completed a clean sweep by winning gold medals in the 500m, 1000m and 3000m Ladies Relay.

The articulate Anja admitted that she was affected by people’s negativity and lost sight of why she took up the sport that she loved most – and retired after the KL SEA Games.

“When I left the sport, I did it with a broken heart. I felt like it had chewed me up and spit me out. I allowed myself to be affected by other people’s negative comments about me, and I lost sight of why I was skating in the first place,” said Anja.

“When I hung up my skates at the end of the season, I thought it would be for good. However, I’m stronger because of those experiences and I’m a different person now.

“One should never give the power to someone to make one feel small.

“I’m staying focused on the sport itself, and constantly reminding myself to be grateful for this opportunity and the ability to do what I love. I’m putting love and happiness first, ” she said.

She made her first competitive comeback at the ISU World Cup Short Track in Torino, which ended on Sunday, but her main focus is the World Cham-pionships in Sofia, Bulgaria, from March 8-10.

Then, it is the National Championships on March 16, followed by the Philippines SEA Games.

For Anja, the sky’s the limit as she believes she hasn’t reached her true potential in the sport.

“I know I’m capable of achieving anything I set my mind to. It may not be easy, but it’ll be worth it,” she said.

“The possibilities are endless when we choose not to place limitations on what we can achieve. People are often way more capable than they realise. Half of life’s battles are first won in the mind.

“I haven’t had enough time in the sport yet to really hit my potential and I would love to see how much I can improve and how much stronger I can get.”

Anja is also positive that the sport can excel further and she’s happy to see more interest in other Asian countries.

“Just this season, I’ve seen lots of smaller countries move up and show potential from nowhere and this is solely because of the backing of the government with new rink facilities and stronger funding for the skaters,” added Anja, who is hoping the support in Malaysia for winter sports will remain strong.