A seven-year struggle to Olympic glory
MAY CHEN
Before the euphoria of making history in the pool in Rio, the Schoolings had to first endure seven years of toil on the road to the top of the Olympic podium.
It began with the difficult decision of sending their only child halfway across the world in 2009 to the United States, in pursuit of the training environment that could mould him into the world-beater he is today.
Joseph Schooling, just 14 then, was the one who pleaded to go. His parents were the ones hesitant to take the leap of faith.
Hours before Schooling's historic swim at the Rio Olympics, his mum May recalled how the swimmer's obsession with competing at the Olympics began after meeting his grand-uncle Lloyd Valberg, coincidentally Singapore's first representative to the Games at the 1948 London edition.
To help Joseph fulfil his dream, they sent him to the Bolles School in Florida, but endured a trying start. The champion himself said of those early days: "I wasn't the easiest guy to train. I didn't want to be there."
Husband and wife took turns shuttling between Singapore and Florida to take care of their young son, each staying months at a time.
It meant the family of three were separated more than they were together, spending an average of just three weeks together a year.
Utter elation as Colin Schooling (seated, second from right) celebrates after watching his son clinch gold. ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
Said Mrs Schooling, her voice hoarse from days of cheering her son on from the stands in Rio: "I have got to take care of two households on both sides of the world.
"It has been tough. Tough because we are not getting any younger," said the 60-year-old.
"As it is now, I am finding it more and more difficult to get over the jetlag of long haul. Age is catching up."
She is a chartered accountant, while husband Colin, 68, is a businessman. He was not in Rio as he was not feeling well.
But after watching the live telecast from the home of Joseph's good friend Teo Zhen Ren, a fellow national swimmer, Mr Schooling's first words to his son were: "I love you. Son, you have done the nation very proud."
In Joseph's build-up to the Olympics, Mrs Schooling travelled to Austin, Texas, where he is now based, to make sure that his meals and needs were well taken care of.
Schooling with his mother May after his winning swim in Rio. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Financially, it has also drained the family. Tuition, accommodation, transport and other expenses over the years has required a hefty investment of nearly US$1 million (S$1.35 million).
Joseph is also a Sports Excellence scholar. The scholarship supports elite athletes with up to $90,000 in median annual stipend to train and compete at the highest level.
Mrs Schooling said: "It is tough on family life, missing each other. Financially, it has also been a big juggle, using up all our reserves and having to budget like crazy.
"It has been tough on all of us, but he wants it."
Joseph Schooling flying the Singapore flag after winning Asian Games gold in 2014. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
'Deep down I want to win'
MELISSA SIM, US CORRESPONDENT
It is close to dinner time as Joseph Schooling dives into the pool at the South Florida Aquatic Club, just outside of Fort Lauderdale.
While one could just about make out the faint growl of hungry stomachs, the quiet is broken as Schooling and his team-mates break into a sprint while Singapore head coach Sergio Lopez barks out instructions.
Lopez cracks a joke about getting to dinner on time just as Schooling reaches the wall. He wears a smile on his face. It is less than two months to the Olympics, but there is a steady calmness about the 21-year-old.
Singapore's main hope for a swimming medal in Rio de Janeiro is completely in his element - focused and relaxed.
"There was a different sort of pressure in 2012, it was more of an external pressure," said Schooling in an interview in July 2016, referring to the London Games. "Now I focus on myself.
"I do it for myself and the people around me and I don't worry about what other people say."
Joseph Schooling and Quah Zheng Wen with their respective 50m butterfly gold and bronze medals during the 28th SEA Games in 2015. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
A mature and collected athlete, it seems, has taken the place of the young upstart of four years ago who was eager to tip the scales.
"In 2012, I thought I could fight with (Michael) Phelps," he said in reference to the Olympic gold-winning American.
"But I was not physically and mentally ready and my only experience was the SEA Games."
He also admits being starstruck at the time, something he has overcome after competing regularly against Phelps and other top swimmers in the past few years.
"I have to feel like I belong at the Olympics and World Championships, rub shoulders with the best and not be starstruck," he said.
In fact, he was even able to beat his idol in the 100m butterfly at the Longhorn Elite Invite held in Austin, Texas last month. He finished first, in 51.58 seconds, the 13th fastest in the world this year.
I know I can win, that would be my ultimate goal.
”
- Joseph Schooling
Joseph Schooling during orientation at the University of Texas. PHOTO: ANDY RINGGOLD
Another confidence boost was his bronze medal in the same event at the World Championships in Kazan, Russia, in August 2015.
"There is a peacefulness and control when you take your mark and you know you are going to do well and not going to mess up. It happened at the Asian Games and also at the worlds," said Schooling, who added that he has had a year to gain ground on his competitors since.
"I'm the youngest guy. I've got the most to improve, I can recover faster. Every year makes a difference."
Hungary's Laszlo Cseh has clocked the year's best time in the 100m fly. His 50.86 is just ahead of Phelps (51.00) and also Chad le Clos (51.56). All three are expected to be Schooling's biggest threats to winning a medal.
Schooling will likely have to better his personal best of 50.96, clocked in Kazan, to be in contention of a historic podium finish.
Older, wiser, his preparation for his second Games has also seen him pay closer attention to his diet. The butterfly specialist admits he eats "a healthier version of everything", for example, opting for his meals to be cooked in coconut oil if possible.
His living conditions have also improved. In April 2015, he moved out of the student dormitory to an apartment to get more rest, and not have to worry about others disrupting his schedule - a gruelling mix of school and training starting as early as 6am, six days a week.
On a regular day, he fits in 1½ hours of swimming in the morning, class from about 9am to noon, weight training after lunch, and two more hours of swim practice in the late afternoon.
"I'm in bed by about 11pm every night," said Schooling, who doesn't see it as cutting into his social life.
Instead, he said it is all about "making the right choices".
"If I'm out till 4am in the morning, then I am going to suffer the next day, and in fact the next few days"
He is even mindful about getting sucked into a TV series like Game Of Thrones, which friends have been pressuring him to watch. "I know it will take hours and weeks, and I don't have a month to sit down every night to watch it," he said.
Colin Schooling came up with this necklace to remind a younger Joseph to tuck his chin in while surfacing for air. PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER
Colin Schooling with his customised drag parachute (right). He is also holding the rudimentary version used by Joseph during his Centre of Excellence days. PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER
He knows all about focus. On his Olympic debut in 2012, he was told minutes before the 200m fly heats that his equipment was not on the approved list, got distracted and missed out a semi-final spot.
It was one of the darkest moments on his ascent to the top. He had a hard time letting go of that loss, argued with his coach Sergio Lopez, and later hurt his ankle.
"The whole of the next year, it was hard to get back in the swing of things. It happens when you fall way short of your expectations," he said. "But I realised I was messing up... I had a good support group, parents, friends and Sergio, to dig me out of the hole."
Lopez, who is the head coach of Singapore, believes his charge is ready to take on the top names in the pool this summer.
"It just depends on who believes in it and commands the last 15m to 20m," he said. "If it's a good day, he can get a medal. Everyone needs a good day to get a medal."
Joseph Schooling training at the Aquatics Centre with other Olympians before the 2012 London Games. PHOTO: ST FILE
Joseph Schooling after the 200m butterfly heats at the London Olympics in 2012. PHOTO: ST FILE
To get in the zone for his race, Schooling said he might watch Peaceful Warrior, a movie about a gymnast who shattered his legs, before his big swim.
"It gets you fired up, I've watched it maybe four or five times," he said.
Music from his Spotify playlist, Jojo, will also be playing as he walks to the pool in headphones.
"I don't like people talking to me before the race, I just want to do my thing," said Schooling.
He said it helps to just block out the chatter: "I just think about what I have done to get here, who has been here to help me, I go back to the basics and break it down."
And while he says he would be satisfied with a medal, there is a quiet resolve that indicates otherwise: "Deep down I want to win.
"I know I can win, that would be my ultimate goal."
This article was first published on July 31, 2016.
Joseph Schooling with his nine gold medals from the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
On the road to becoming
the best
CHUA SIANG YEE
He has tasted Asian Games success, become a collegiate sensation in the United States and is now the undisputed king of Asean swimming.
And, as more continents become acquainted with Singapore swimming sensation Joseph Schooling, it begs the question: Can the 19-year-old be truly among the world’s best?
Fresh from a dominant performance at the Singapore SEA Games, in which he won nine golds from nine events while clocking 10 Games records (he set a new time during his leg in the 4x200m freestyle relay), all signs indicate that the butterfly specialist is not far from being a world-beater.
In an interview with The Straits Times in June 2015, national swimming coach Sergio Lopez, who coached Schooling for five years at the Bolles School in Florida, said: “His goal has to be winning a medal in Rio (Olympics next year).
“He has the potential, he has the mindset, it’s just a matter of what happens in the next 14 months.
“Hopefully, with a little bit of luck, we can get a medal.”
A clean sweep of medals at a regional-level meet may not leave world rivals too concerned. But, beyond the titles, it is the manner of victory that has his coaches convinced that he is ready to take on bigger fish.
He clocked the 15th-fastest time of the year when he won the 100m freestyle. His 200m butterfly win stopped the clock at 1min 55.73sec, the eighth-fastest time in the world this year.
By Schooling’s own admission, nine events in one meet left him spent. But it will not stop him from doing it again.
“It’s definitely one of my most tiring meets,” the Asian Games 100m fly gold medallist said in an interview in 2015. “But maybe I’ll attempt nine events again, or more. Why not? I like taking on new challenges.”
It is this fearlessness and commitment to excellence that his coaches believe will fuel his ambition of making it to the top. But, once there, it would be foolish to go for quantity instead of channelling his energies and focus on the couple of events he can truly excel in.
Eddie Reese, who is coaching Schooling at the University of Texas, where the Singaporean won three titles on his National Collegiate Athletic Association championships debut and was crowned the Big 12 Men’s Newcomer of the Year, said: “He can make the Olympic standard in every event... I’d say just focus on the butterfly and let’s get on the podium at the Olympics.”
Joseph Schooling is congratulated by Texas Longhorns teammates after breaking the Texas school record in the 100 yard butterfly. PHOTO: TEXAS ATHLETICS
And, while there is no doubting Schooling’s talent, Reese urged patience.
The three-time head coach of the United States Olympic men’s swimming team said: “I don’t believe he’s scratched the surface of what he can do. Some days he does things in practice you just can’t believe.
“But time is part of the success equation. He can have great strokes, great workouts, but to get better in this sport, you must be willing to work harder than you did in previous years.
“So far, Joseph has been willing and able to do that, and that’s important.”
Although Reese says Schooling is already armed with great assets – a winner’s mentality and a dolphin kick only a dolphin can better – there are still little kinks to iron out.
For example, his dives and surfacing technique can be improved to shave off time. He also needs to hit the wall and his turns more decisively.
Joseph Schooling with (from left) Kip Darmody, Will Licon and Jack Conger. They set a new meet record in the men's 400 yard medley relay at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships in Iowa. PHOTO: TEXAS ATHLETICS
The work in progress will get a big test next month at the World Championships in Russia where he will compete in the 50m, 100m and 200m fly.
Said Reese: “This (the SEA Games) has been hard. He didn’t really have time to get real fit in this period of time. I can hardly wait till the Worlds, where I think he will make breakthroughs in the 100m and 200m fly.”
But perhaps the biggest hint of what could come came from the man himself.
“I’m nowhere near my peak,” said Schooling. “I just need more rest... but with some fine-tuning and better race planning, I can do better.”
Few would doubt him. Asia can attest to that.
This article was first published on June 14, 2015.
Joseph Schooling unwinding from swimming by shooting pellets at paper targets in his living room in Florida. PHOTO: ST FILE
Schoolboy diving into a man's world
CHAN U-GENE
A spirited war cry fills the Schooling residence: “Camouflage!” And then Joseph Schooling emerges from under blanket covers and lets fly a plastic bullet.
His weapon is an ingenious air-pressured device – an empty plastic water bottle wound up so tightly that its cap flies off like a mini missile.
It is a rare moment when the swimmer allows a fleeting glimpse of the teenager during an interview with The Straits Times in June 2012.
Joseph, who turned 17 a month before the interview, is too young to drink alcohol or drive in Singapore. So, like many of his peers, he is constantly fidgeting with his white mobile phone, texting and Tweeting throughout the day.
He is only a schoolboy. Yet a schoolboy who has become the only Singaporean swimmer to meet the Olympic ‘A’ time to gain direct qualification to London, where he will compete in the 200m butterfly.
The athlete, who was celebrated in April 2012 as the youngest to be crowned Sportsman of the Year at the Singapore Sports Awards, has in more ways than one been thrust into adulthood over the past year.
To push himself to swim faster, Joseph Schooling would imagine that the pool was empty, except for a shark behind him, and he would swim really fast to escape the "shark". PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER
Spurred by dreams of becoming an Olympian, he was only 14 when he left home and travelled over 16,000km to train. Since then, home has been a cosy two-bedroom, one garage bungalow in Jacksonville.
In a place better known as a retirement village, Joseph is beginning to build a sporting career and to live up to the expectations that inevitably follow talent.
It is another hot and dry 38 deg C summer morning and he would otherwise be celebrating his 10th grade “first honours” semester results with his Bolles School classmates at the beach or at a shopping mall.
But the bearer of two SEA Games golds and three Singapore national records is ploughing away in the waters of the Cassidy Aquatic Fitness Center.
Swimming is a sport in solitude and it is especially so this week as his usual training group is away with the Bolles Sharks’ head coach Sergio Lopez in Omaha, Nebraska, trying to win a place on the United States team for London 2012.
Now, the piercing whistles – sometimes even audible underwater – of coach Michael Walker, assistant to Lopez, accompany Joseph on his training sets. It is the encouragement and supervision which the swimmer needs.
Joseph Schooling with other swimmers from Florida's Bolles School in 2011. PHOTO: MAY SCHOOLING
Joseph and his mother May having a hearty breakfast at a local joint in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2012. PHOTO: ST FILE
Said Walker: “He’s a good kid to have around, and when the time comes for the big race, he’s ready to go. But sometimes (in training), he can have lapses of concentration.”
Joseph knows that he is different from most of his peers. That he possesses qualities which elude others. Like an exceptional water feel and good flexibility in the knees and ankles – traits that he has utilised to create a powerful dolphin kick.
He said: “It’s talent, I guess.
“I’m not the hardest worker in the group. But I’m above average and I’ve really been trying to get it up in the past year. I don’t think I’ve worked so hard before in my life.”
Water feel, as Walker describes, is the “ability to hold on to the water and move the water”. This, he believes, is what Joseph excels in.
“Compare Joseph to guys like Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. Those guys are like monsters. But how does Joseph have a comparable time to them? He’s efficient in the water. He also has very loose ankles and knees that allows him to whip the water.”
Watch a shark in motion, Walker says, adding: “Look at the shark’s fin, and see that last flick. That is where the acceleration comes from. That is what Joseph is able to do with his kick.
“There might be exceptions, but almost all the great underwater kickers have got flexible knees and ankles.”
Joseph Schooling ahead of the 2012 London Olympics. PHOTO: ST FILE
But for now, the Singaporean is still a class away from the top butterfly specialists of the world. His 200m personal best of 1min 56.67sec clocked last November is three seconds off Phelps’ recent 1:53.65 at the US trials.
Joseph does not need to be reminded of that. He watches and re-watches his opponents compete at the Omaha meet on television, and then again via the Internet on the computer.
His gaze is always intense and for those couple of minutes, nothing distracts him. Not his mother’s gentle reminders to pack his bag, nor her question about whether he has completed his school’s summer readings.
Because right now, London is calling. And to Joseph, there is no other sound that is louder.
This article was first published on June 11, 2012.
"Come and take it": Joseph Schooling during his history-making race at the Rio Olympics. PHOTO: AFP
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