"From having a beautiful dream at a young age and the chance to making that dream happen, to finally watching it just slip through your fingers after being so close to realising it - its devastating! Stephanie Shalini shares the devastation she felt before her life turned around with amazing opportunities" #Godisgood
by Stephanie Shalini
Malaysian greats, Datuk Punch Gunalan, the Sidek brothers and our legend, Lee Chong Wei, these are a few names all Malaysians, and many non-Malaysians, will always remember.
I remember watching the 1998 Commonwealth Games that was held in Malaysia and finding my dream of representing my country in Badminton one day.
I was already an active child with many dreams growing up in a middle-class family, and at the age of 12, I had represented my school in various sports.
At 10, it turned out that I was a badminton enthusiast, thanks to my father who discovered my interest while playing with me in front of our house gate.
And that is how my sporting career began.
I joined the state training program when I was 11 years old, which was quite late, but I worked very hard because I was so excited to be playing badminton.
I was chosen to join the national junior team after three years of state training to continue my education at the Bukit Jalil Sports School. It was a difficult decision to make because first of all, that was a boarding school, which meant I would miss my family terribly.
Plus, training was at 6am and 3pm daily, with school starting at 9.30am. Of course, I eventually agreed because at that time, my dream was greater than the sacrifices I would have to make to achieve it.
Soon after joining the national team, I realised how difficult juggling my training sessions and studies at the same time was.
You know, I used to run at least 70 kilometres per week, sometimes resulting in me vomiting.
There many times I even wanted to quit, but there was ONE thing that always pushed me, encouraged me, and pulled me through all of it - The Almighty God.
He was not only a Father to me, but also a friend. I am so grateful to my parents for instilling in me the love for God at a young age. My mother always told me that God knows what you're going through and that He will hold your hand through every situation, which is exactly what happened to me.
I recall having a bad injury in both of my knees, which forced me to miss almost three months of training. My teammates were all training and preparing for tournaments, while I sat there praying to the Lord to heal my knees.
"God was amazing because He not only healed my injury but also allowed me to catch up with my teammates and eventually be selected to represent Malaysia in the Asian Junior Championships that year. What an amazing God I serve!"
After that, I went on to compete in the World Junior Championships and was promoted to the senior team. It was a new challenge for me to compete with my seniors. Then, in 2008, I was roped into the 2012 London Olympics training program.
I worked hard and gave it my all, but unfortunately because I was ranked between fourth and fifth in the team, I did not make the trip to London. It was heartbreaking, but God never let me down.
He had a better plan for me.
In that time, God opened a window of opportunity to pursue my studies, and through His grace and mercy, I excelled in them, eventually receiving a job offer from a sports channel in Malaysia.
Then came the best news - I was informed that I would be travelling to Tokyo for the Olympic Games 2021.
"I may not have made it to the London Olympics as a badminton player, but God, being so gracious, provided me with such wonderful opportunities throughout my career! "
It also made me realise that I have an amazing God who has been planning my journey since the day I was born.
It's incredible to know that He will always be the loving and kind God.
A posture that we can have is one of constantly seeking Him and staying faithful to Him. I am who I am today because of the grace and blessing of the Lord Almighty.
Here’s how I dealt with some of the disappointing seasons I had to go through : -
1) Praying
- Surrendering 100% to the Lord and allowing Him to work in my life even at my lowest. I spoke to Him about everything, because I knew our Heavenly Father is always willing to listen.
2) Devotion - Bible/Daily Bread
- Reading Bible verses daily
- Daily Bread was a source of encouragement to me and somehow always related to what I was going through.
3) Family
- Having good family support was vital. I spent quality time with them as much as I could.
4) Friends
- Having friends who give me positive advice and who were there when I needed them
5) Hard Work
- I always believed that God will help, but that I needed to do my part as well. Hard work and faith work hand in hand.
6) Do not easily get influenced
- Always remember to ask yourself ‘Will God be pleased?’ before doing something.
Psalms 71:5 - For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.
Isaiah 49:15 - I Will Not Forget You I Have Carved You on the Palms of My Hands
by Stephanie Shalini
About the Author :
A former national badminton player
who currently works in a local sports channel in Malaysia. Loves meeting people and enjoy doing outdoor activities.
A humble servant of the Lord.
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