Why Do We Chase Transcendence Through the Crucible?
- jeromesiow
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
November 2025
Our Promise. Our Conviction to each other; Our Goal – Gold in NSG 2026.
Back against each other, and side by side, we march on with a common vision — an unwavering commitment to steer a ship that can be captained by any of us. A ship strong enough to cut through any wave that tries to drive us back, back to where we once began, but no longer belong.
Little by little, inch by inch, one power stroke at a time, we push forward through fatigue and pain. We motivate, we pull, we lift one another from the deepest pool of exhaustion. Each of us driven by something far greater than personal glory — the will to rise, together.
Because when the water turns cold and the body gives way, we hold fast to the brotherhood that binds us. We’ve learned that strength is not found in muscle alone, but in trust — in knowing that someone always has your back.
The Calm After the Storm
Exams are finally over. The pencils, papers, and late-night study sessions — all behind us. For most, this is the time to relax. For us, it’s the time to reset and get back to work.
The pool calls again. Every splash, every stroke, reminds us who we are — athletes, teammates, brothers. The noise of school fades, and all that’s left is focus.
We’ve been here before. In Penang U13 Wahoo 2025, we brought home gold — Singapore’s name on the top podium. That moment meant something. It proved that we can compete, that our hard work pays off. But we also know that what we achieved there was just one chapter.
Now, the next one begins — NSG 2026. A new goal. A bigger dream. This time, it’s not just about winning again. It’s about setting a standard for what it means to be from Singapore Sports School — to show discipline, teamwork, and heart in everything we do.
We train not just for medals, but for pride. For the ones who’ve worn this badge before us, and for those who will come after. When we step into the water, it’s not just about swimming faster or shooting harder. It’s about moving together, learning together, and lifting one another when we fall.
The calm after the storm doesn’t mean we rest — it means we prepare. Because the next storm is coming, and we’ll be ready. United as one.
Why We Chase Transcendence Through the Crucible
Sometimes we ask ourselves — why do we keep doing this? Why train until our arms feel like they’re falling off, why wake up before sunrise just to be pushed again and again? Maybe because deep down, we’re not just chasing medals — we’re chasing something inside us.
Truth is, our deepest fear isn’t losing. It’s not being good enough. Not being the one who makes that crucial save. Not being fast enough to cover a teammate. Not being the player the coach can count on when it really matters. That fear lives quietly inside — it follows us into every game, every mistake, every silence after a tough training.
But that same fear also drives us. When we wear the Seals cap, we don’t hide from it — we face it together. We learn to turn that fear into fuel. Because when one of us feels weak, someone else steps up. When one of us struggles, the rest pull him forward. We don’t do it alone.
Playing for Seals means more than competing — it means carrying one another through every high and low. Every drill, every loss, every win — we do it as brothers. We fight hard, we stay humble, and when things get rough, we brave the storm united until the end.
That’s what transcendence really means. It’s not about being fearless or perfect. It’s about showing up, standing side by side, and giving everything you have for the team. Because in the end, we’re not just chasing victory — we’re chasing belief, trust, and the bond that keeps us together.
We are the Seals. And no matter what comes, we move as one. United until the end.
The Seals’ Promise
We are the Seals — not because we shout the loudest or fight the hardest, but because we hold ourselves to a standard that few can see but everyone can feel. Our promise isn’t about showing off strength or winning every game. It’s about doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
Every player who wears this cap understands what it means to represent Seals of SSP. It means discipline in how we train, humility in how we carry ourselves, and pride in how we play. We don’t just talk about improvement — we live it. When someone struggles, we lift him up. When someone drifts, we pull him back in. No judgment, just accountability and respect.
Over time, something special happens — we start to move as one. When any of us locked eyes, no words were needed. We all knew the next move, the next set, the next call for the ball. That’s the kind of connection you can’t fake; it’s built from hours of grind, shared purpose, and belief in one another.
Being a Seal means leading by example, even when it’s hard. It’s choosing to stay after practice to fix what’s not good enough. It’s pushing through one more set when your body wants to stop. It’s knowing that the easy option is never the right one.
Leadership isn’t about being captain — it’s about setting the tone. In our team, anyone can steer the ship, because every Seal knows the direction. That’s our promise — that no matter who’s in the water, the Seals move as one.
We don’t just train to win medals. We train to leave a mark — through effort, discipline, and heart. That’s the Seals’ Promise — quiet strength, shared standards, and one vision that never fades. Seals of SSP.
Our Conviction
Conviction isn’t about shouting confidence. It’s about doing what’s needed, even when no one is watching. For us, it’s knowing that every small decision — the extra rep, the cleaner pass, the sharper focus — adds up to something bigger.
And let’s be honest — sometimes the climb isn’t just about being excellent. Sometimes you’re also navigating those “selection processes” where certain decisions feel… well, let’s just say, the kind of interesting that makes you wonder if common sense took MC. You train, you show your worth, you do everything right — but somehow you’re not just fighting for a spot in the pool. You’re also fighting against the usual human bias, the unspoken rules, the “standard procedures” that somehow never look very standard.
You know the kind — where suddenly the scoreboard, the stats, the performance…all take a back seat to things that magically happen behind closed doors. The type of situation where you look at the outcome and go, “Wah, steady lah. Really world-class transparency.” And honestly — similar to his sister’s story, we don’t give a shit. We just move around it. If the front door is blocked, we take the side door. If the system doesn’t recognise him, then we’ll go find a system that will. Simple as that.
Because we’ve learned that success isn’t built in a single tournament or a single season. It’s built in habits. In showing up on time. In staying switched on when the body is tired. In holding each other to the same standard we hold ourselves.
NSG 2026 isn’t just a date on the calendar — it’s a checkpoint. The real goal is to become a team that can perform under any condition, in any pool, against anyone. That’s what we’re working towards. We’ve made peace with pressure. It doesn’t scare us anymore. If anything, we welcome it — because pressure means the moment matters. It means we matter. Every Seal understands that we can’t control medals or outcomes. But we can control effort, attitude, and how we respond. That’s what truly defines us.
So when the whistle blows, there won’t be speeches or noise — just a quiet kind of belief. The kind that comes from knowing we’ve done the work, trusted the process, and stood for something together.
That’s our conviction — steady, simple, and unbreakable..
Reflection
At some point, school tournaments stop being the whole story. You start thinking about the bigger picture — the level you want to reach, the kind of player you want to become, and how far your path can really go. For most of us, the focus stays here — becoming better players, better teammates, better men in the water.
But for Emett, there’s another layer to the journey. He carries a dream that goes beyond local competitions — a dream to apply overseas, to earn a spot in a professional club someday, to test himself on bigger stages and see how far a Singapore boy can go.
That kind of dream demands more. It means breaking habits that hold him back. It means rejecting comfort, refusing average, and pushing harder than what is required.
Status quo? Never enough — not if you want to stand where few from here have stood.
So while the team trains together, grows together, and fights together, and also whack a ridiculous amount of food together,
Emett trains with an extra purpose — every rep, every drill, every bit of discomfort becoming part of his climb toward that overseas door.
He’s not there yet — but he’s on the way. And when that day comes, he won’t just be representing himself. He’ll be showing what’s possible for a Singapore athlete willing to chase a dream that’s bigger, further, tougher.
This is Emett’s conviction — to rise beyond limits, to pursue excellence, and to earn his place in an overseas club, one day, with full honesty and heart...
Doors don’t open for us, so we build our own. And we walk through together.
"不是每一步都容易，也不是每天都不痛。但我们有爱，有信念，还有承诺：再难，也一起走下去。" 伊吟 (UDA)
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