The Second Half

My name is John Cheah. I work as a floor manager and Personal Trainer at Level, a gym in Singapore, and I’m trying to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Earlier this year, I set up a fundraiser for the Asian Weightlifting Championships, the first of six qualifying competitions for the 2020 Olympics. The money raised then also managed to partially fund my outing to the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Apia, Samoa. I came in 7th and 6th respectively, with the results nabbing me a spot at the 2019 Weightlifting World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand. By the time you read this, I would have returned from the World Championships with three more competitions to go.

Three down, three to go, and this is where this fundraiser comes in.

The calendar for the remaining events have been released before the closing date for qualification in April 2020 and I've highlighted these three events to work toward:

Qatar International Cup - Doha, Qatar - 18-23rd December 2019

Australian Weightlifting Open - Australia, City TBA - February 2020

Asian Weightlifting Championships - Kazakhstan, City TBA - April 2020

As you can see, the timeline is a tight one with these competitions happening within 2 months of each other, and I'll need all the financial help I can get. The total amount I need is estimated at $16,050, with air travel, medical, accommodation and coaching expenses forming the breakdown across the three events. Any excess amount raised from this fundraiser will go to the Singapore Weightlifting Federation to help future generations of weightlifters.

The link to the old fundraiser above details the current state of support for Weightlifting in Singapore, along with the new Olympic qualification standards, but here's the kicker:

If I complete all 6 qualifying competitions, I may still not get to go to the Olympics.

I'm going to be very honest about this. The money you give may not result in an Olympic presence next year, because we are aiming for a shot at a wild card, which is given at the discretion of the organizers of the competition.

What you are funding is not a straight journey to the Olympics. What you are funding is not a 1+1=2 equation. What you are funding is a platform for me to stand on, that I may be chosen. You are electing me.

I've thought long and hard about even setting up this second fundraiser. I don't like crowd-sourcing what (I've always thought) should be an individual journey. But people close to me have told me otherwise.

No one gets anywhere by themselves. If you're reading this, you might have followed my journey through weightlifting over the past 5 years. You've read my thoughts after every tough training session and after every competition, sharing in the lows and highs of this climb. You may have even contributed to the last fundraiser, or showed your appreciation for me in other ways. I am grateful for all of this; every kind word or thought is meaningful and worth more than you'll know. The flag on my chest may symbolize my geographical roots, but the heart behind that flag is filled with the faces and names who have done more for me than that flag ever could.

So if you still believe in me, I'd very much appreciate your help once again. I have nothing to offer or promise besides doing my best, but you already know that.