From missing the Rio Olympics by 0.001 points to redefining success beyond the podium, she shares what it really takes to walk away — and why half of her still lives on the mat.
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00:00Representing Malaysia is like the highest level that you can do and I always want
00:03to do my very best and so when I didn't get the results that I wanted I felt
00:08like a failure. We have so much responsibility to the nation. I've gotten
00:12people who said like I'm too old, too injured, too big, like everything that you would
00:18you wouldn't say to a person face to face I've got it. I felt not qualifying
00:22before and that was like heartbreaking. People say when you can feel your
00:26heartbreak that's how I felt because it was so devastating to me to not be able
00:29to go to Rio. I had always identified as, you know, Farah and the gymnast and that's
00:33what people always knew me as and then now I'm just Farah and I was like who is
00:38this person without a gymnast thing?
00:47It's another exciting episode of the Shock Podcast Life Confessions. Another guest
00:52joins us. I am very excited because I've been looking forward to interviewing
00:58this person who needs no introduction and she is Malaysian Olympian Farah Ann. Thank
01:06you so much for joining us. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be
01:09here. And I also like your shoes first. I'm going to say that right now. I'm going to
01:12need to find out where you got them from. They're the Nike Air Max. I can hit you up.
01:16Okay. All right. I'm going to mark that down now. Get shoes. Okay. So let's start with like,
01:22you know, we know you so well. People think they know you well. I think that's one of the things
01:27when it comes, that comes with the territory of being such a public figure such as yourself,
01:31right? But let's start with who is Farah Ann? Like if you had to describe yourself,
01:37like how would you describe yourself?
01:39Wow. Coming out, you know, guns blazing. Yeah. I thought that was like a nice way to
01:44ease it in, but no, right? Okay. What's your favorite Malaysian food? Come, I'll start with.
01:50Okay. I'll answer your question. Who is Farah Ann? So I think everyone knows me as, you know,
01:55Farah Ann the gymnast. And that was how I perceived myself for many, many years. Since I was three
02:00when I started gymnastics until I retired. And so now I'm actually trying to find who I am.
02:06I'm multiple of things. Trying in gymnastics, I will always be, it will be my heart, it will
02:12always be my love. But I'm dabbling in other things. So I'm a daughter. I am an athlete.
02:19I am going to be probably an actress. I'm going to probably have like a business,
02:27an entrepreneur. I'm a motivational speaker. I'm a mental health advocate.
02:32What else do I do?
02:33You just gave me so many more questions to ask you.
02:35And I'm also a certified judge now, so I can judge for like gymnastics.
02:41And yeah, I'm actually, yeah, so all those things.
02:45So to recap on what you just said, right? Let's go one by one. You said soon to be actress,
02:52I believe.
02:53Yeah. So I have things in the works. Can't really talk about it right now.
02:59Right.
02:59What can you say?
03:02It's just a very small, a dabble, you know, like a little, a little pinch.
03:07Okay. How about genre-wise?
03:10You know, sometimes you have to resign.
03:12Okay. So nothing, nothing. Got it. We're back to the nice shoes.
03:17How about business? You said you're going to be heading into business ventures?
03:23A friend of mine, we are planning on potentially opening our own like academy for gymnastics
03:29and also kind of athleisure, I think.
03:34Yeah. Very popular now.
03:36Yeah.
03:36Yeah.
03:36Things like that.
03:37And you also said that now you are able to judge.
03:42Yes. I officially have a certificate to be able to judge you.
03:46Me?
03:47That will be an easy one.
03:48Yes.
03:48Just don't write anything.
03:50And that will be the judgment. Zero.
03:51Oh, no. I think I'll give a hundred.
03:54I accept it. This is saved and we are going to take that snippet and use it for my Instagram.
03:58Okay.
03:59So like, yeah, I have a judging license from the Federation of Gymnastics.
04:04That means I can actually judge. Now I judge in Malaysia for like gymnastics competitions,
04:08but now I can actually do it internationally.
04:10How does that transition feel like from being the person who was being judged to now being a judge?
04:15It was very interesting for me because I think in the beginning I used to judge when I was training as well.
04:22So I would do like minor competitions in Malaysia and then now transitioning to the bigger competitions.
04:29It's interesting to sit on the other side.
04:32It's also quite nerve wracking because I've always wanted to be fair.
04:38And as a judge, you finally, it's whenever I talk about competitions, everyone is stressed.
04:42Like the athlete is stressed, the judge is stressed, everyone is stressed to make sure that everything goes well.
04:47So it's just very interesting to be on the other side.
04:51Yeah, it's a lot more studying that I needed to do because every time a competition comes,
04:55I have to re-study the code of points and make sure that everything is up to date.
04:59You just brought up how like it was such a stressful thing surrounding everything relating to tournaments, gymnastics, right?
05:08Can you share with us some of those challenges that you faced during the early training years?
05:13You started at three years old, right?
05:14You said three years old.
05:16Yeah.
05:16Right.
05:16Can you share with us what that was like?
05:18So I think in the beginning of my career, it was more for fun.
05:24And I, if you start to my parents or anyone who knows me, I was very, very competitive.
05:33So for me, it was more of like going out there.
05:36And when you're new, everything is very exciting.
05:39So you just go in there, you compete and you hope for the best.
05:42And then I was like, oh, I wanted to win these medals.
05:44But as I grew older, there was a lot more stress put on me because I started representing Malaysia at 10 years old.
05:53So that was my first international competition.
05:55And, but at that time, it was like, oh, it's so interesting.
05:58I'm competing with other people now, other countries.
06:01So you see like Singapore, you see Thailand, Indonesia.
06:04And then when I started doing better and well, and especially after I won my C Games,
06:10my first silver was in 2011.
06:12And then coming, there was in a C Games in 2013.
06:15And then there was one in 2015.
06:17And I won six medals, two of them gold.
06:20And then a lot more pressure was put on to me because people expected high level performance at all the competitions that I went.
06:28And so I put a lot of pressure on myself because for me, representing Malaysia is like the highest level that you can do.
06:35And I always want to do my very best.
06:37And so when I didn't get the results that I wanted, I felt like a failure.
06:42Like I felt that I was letting all these people down who have been there for me, like my coaches, my teammates, my family, friends, and even like the Malaysian public because I'm representing Malaysia out there.
06:55I'm not representing myself.
06:56So for me, that was what part of the stress was, was always putting that much pressure on myself to just be the best all the time.
07:07But in through that, I've learned that failure is such an important tool for me because I learned that I'm a lot stronger than I thought I was.
07:17So if you had told me when I was 17 or 18 that I would have qualified for the Olympics at 27 years old, I would be like, I think you're crazy.
07:25Because that seems like, because all my seniors when I was that age kind of retired around like 22, 23.
07:33So to be at that age and to be at, I would say, the best, the fittest I had ever been, like the best level that I had ever been.
07:41It was such a very big like learning curve as well.
07:44When you think about it now, because you've achieved, you achieved so much at a very young age.
07:49Yeah.
07:49Right.
07:50And how long has it been since you've retired now?
07:54Four, three years.
07:55I retired in 2022.
07:56So three years.
07:57Does it feel like you've retired?
07:58No.
07:59Every time people ask me, like when I retired, I'm like, what year is it?
08:02Okay, that like subtract 2022.
08:04Yeah, so three years.
08:05It doesn't feel like it's been three years, but it also does feel like it's been three years.
08:10Right.
08:10Like body-wise.
08:11Oh.
08:12Like fitness-wise.
08:13I think it's a major like, okay, I'm not a Olympic athlete anymore.
08:20Where you can eat nasi lemak anytime you want.
08:22Yeah.
08:23But nobody would be able to tell because looking at you, you look like you'd be able to take to the floor again at any point.
08:29Any point?
08:30Yeah.
08:31I'm very happy to say that I'm happy that you feel that way.
08:36My body doesn't feel that way.
08:37I can no longer do like double seltos, but I probably can do like a single seltos.
08:43So that's why I have to say my life.
08:44And okay, when it comes to the, we're talking about the challenges that you faced, right?
08:50Physical versus mental.
08:51Which one was the harder part?
08:53I think in the beginning of my career, it was physical because it was learning new skills, which was very fun for me.
08:59It was learning new skills, getting the basic down.
09:04And then later on, it was more mental because I think when I turned like 18, 19, I started getting hesitation problems.
09:11And it was something that I never had when I was younger because I used to be, I'll just, you know, like kind of like close my eyes and jump feeling.
09:18I was just like do any skill that the coach threw at me.
09:21And then when I started having my hesitation problems, it was a big problem for me because I wouldn't be able to do certain skills that had been done for like 15 years.
09:29And then I had to scale back and then redo the skills, go back to zero and then build.
09:35And so that for me was very stressful and very, I felt very demotivated because it was just being in the squad for this long and for the skills to be such basic skills that I had hesitation problems.
09:50It's not, when I talk about it, people don't really understand.
09:54And it's like, like mental blocks.
09:56I think that's a better way of saying it's like big mental blocks.
09:59And it's not because I was scared.
10:00It was not because I was injured.
10:01It was just like these blocks that I had in my head.
10:03And I think only sports like gymnastics or diving will have where you actually have to flip in the air.
10:10We'll have, for example, like Simone Biles when she had her mental.
10:13So it's similar to that.
10:14And also just training myself to be able to cope with the immense of pressure.
10:20So I think that was more mental.
10:22So throughout the later stages of my career, I focused a lot on more mental training because I had already honed down all of my physical skills.
10:29And then it became a balancing act of, that's why I say every time we got there, it's always like, I would say like 70% physical and 20% mental and then 10% of life.
10:41How do you deal with it though?
10:43It sounds like it was really something that weighed down on you.
10:48So how did you overcome it?
10:50Was it with help of someone?
10:52It was a lot of things.
10:53I'm very grateful to have wonderful coaches and teammates because they knew what I needed.
11:00Certain keywords.
11:01So I tried everything that I could try.
11:05So visualization, mental training, going to see psychologists.
11:10And then coaches helping, support.
11:13So I tried everything under the sun.
11:16And some days worked, some days didn't work.
11:18So it was always just like, okay, today it worked.
11:20And some days I would be like, oh, I don't have it today.
11:22And it would be a fantastic day.
11:24And so because it's only certain skills.
11:26So every time I needed to work on those skills, I would have to have like my coach by my side.
11:30And to just be like a safety guard in case I fly off the apparatus.
11:36But yeah, it was just a very balancing act.
11:39Yeah, so it was just every day I would go in and just do my training programs.
11:45And some days it would be fantastic, some days not.
11:47And yeah, just kind of deal with it and try to navigate through it.
11:52So it sounds like you had people around you who were able to support you.
11:56And you felt comfortable with talking to them about these issues.
11:58Yeah, of course.
11:59Because they could physically see it.
12:01Something that was physical, right?
12:02Like I would run to do a skill.
12:04And I would like either stop or like, you know, I would tumble.
12:08And I wouldn't do the specific skill, which is very dangerous.
12:11Yeah.
12:12So and I would also, I have wonderful teammates.
12:14So I would talk to them.
12:16I'm like, hey, today, I don't know.
12:17I don't feel like, I think it's the mental block is there.
12:21Could you help me?
12:21And they would always, always help.
12:23They were like, what do you need?
12:25Do you need us to, you know, say specific words?
12:27Do you need us?
12:28So and it was very different every time.
12:30So some days I'll be like, okay, try not to say anything so that I will see what works.
12:34And yeah, and my coaches as well.
12:36So I had a very, very strong support system that really helped me.
12:41And also I started reading a lot of books on how other top tier athletes deal with like mental, their mental health.
12:50And of course, it's very, very different, right?
12:52So if you have, I read something about like an archer.
12:56And so how they would sit for an hour, just like visualizing.
12:59And so it's very, very different specific keywords.
13:02And so I just kind of adapted them into how I train for gymnastics.
13:06Do you feel that enough is being done, generally speaking, for athletes to deal with these mental challenges that they're facing?
13:14Or were you uniquely fortunate enough to have people around you?
13:18Or is this something that most athletes would have that kind of support?
13:21I think I was very lucky.
13:23I think Institute Suka Nagaya, we actually have psychologists.
13:27But when I was training for the Olympics, I actually had extra help that came in.
13:30And it's also very difficult because there are a lot of issues.
13:36For example, I had a very, very good psychologist, but she was helping me more with the pressure of performing at the highest level.
13:45And then so the one that dealt with gymnastics specifically, like the mental box,
13:50I needed to kind of have a lot of cooperation to say that this is working and this is not working because it's always like a give and take.
13:57So one day this would work, one day this didn't work.
14:00But I think that now there's more emphasis put on like mental training.
14:05And I think it's people realize that for like top athletes, that's actually a very, very important part of being like, you know, the top 5% in the world.
14:14So a lot of people, especially top tier athletes, really hone into that mental capabilities.
14:19And I think that I was very lucky to access all that information and to be able to use it.
14:25And I think that obviously more can be done, but we are stepping in the right direction.
14:30Yeah.
14:30I also think definitely you speaking, you just, just you speaking about it now is, it's so helpful for people to hear you say that this is what you went through.
14:39Right.
14:39I think it's so helpful for everyone to know that this person who went through so much, who I think, do you feel sometimes people see you as being perfect?
14:47I think people don't realize how hard it is because being an athlete and also being just always in the public eye.
15:01And I am very grateful that Malaysia has a lot of support for athletes.
15:05And I think that also makes us feel like we're very, we have so much responsibility to the nation because our programs are obviously like the Malaysian government pays a lot for our programs.
15:19So like for go, when we go for international competitions, of course, there are some that it's a very give and take.
15:25So obviously we cannot go for everything.
15:27And if you want to, and you do, the better that you do, the more events that you'll be going for.
15:33So I've experienced everything in the spectrum.
15:37So I've been like to the Olympic Games where obviously there's a lot of funding and then to like minor games where there wasn't funding.
15:42There was a point where we paid for, to go for our own world championships because, so it's a very give and take.
15:47But because of all of that, there's a lot of pressure that's placed on us to be perfect.
15:53And if we're not, people will let us know.
15:55And so I've gotten everything, you know, I've gotten a lot of support.
16:00I've gotten people who said like, I'm too old, too injured, too big, everything that you would, you wouldn't say to a person face to face, I've gotten.
16:11But I've also gotten a lot of support.
16:13So it's always navigating through those, those two things and having all that on your shoulders.
16:18Right.
16:19And to do that, I've always been very grateful and thankful.
16:23But I've just learned to sometimes we need to like distance ourselves and just go in there and do our jobs and just do the best that we can.
16:30Yeah.
16:30And to talk about it.
16:32Yeah.
16:32Like people need to hear this.
16:33Yeah.
16:34There's a lot of times I tell people that they always ask me, so you train once a week?
16:37They're like, no, no, no, no.
16:38It's like a 6 to 7 p.m. job.
16:45Monday to Saturdays.
16:46Yeah.
16:47I'm like, we don't get like, sometimes we don't get Hari Raya off, we don't get holidays.
16:52Yeah.
16:52Yeah, it's a very hard job.
16:55People need to hear this.
16:56Absolutely.
16:57You mentioned representing Malaysia at the Olympics.
17:01Yes.
17:01Everyone knows this, of course.
17:03Now, when you qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, right, it was what many of us would consider from the outside looking in, a significant milestone.
17:13Yes, it was.
17:13Right?
17:14How did it feel?
17:16Oh, so the journey to get there was a very, very long journey.
17:20I would say about eight years in the making.
17:22Um, so every time I tell this story, I always have to start with Rio because, um, actually I have to start in the 2011.
17:30So 2011 was the first time I, not qualified, so I went for my first world championships.
17:36I was alone, me and just one of my coaches.
17:39And that was quite terrifying, I must say.
17:43Because world championships is like no other competition because everyone in the world is there.
17:48And it's, it's chaotic.
17:51There's like 500 gymnasts.
17:53And it was the first time I went for such a large competition.
17:57And so I didn't do very well.
17:59Okay.
17:59Because it was, it was just like very eye-opening to me and also with the structure of everything.
18:04And then, um, I actually, because I didn't do very well, I actually called out my sister and I said, you know, I'm done gymnastics.
18:11Oh.
18:12Yeah, I was like.
18:12It could have ended there.
18:13Yeah, it could have ended there.
18:14Oh.
18:14And she was like, are you, are you feeling this way because you're, you did, you didn't do well or because you want to retire?
18:21And I'm like, oh, I trained so hard and I fail.
18:24So what's the point, right?
18:25You feel like you're at the end of your role.
18:27And then she's like, kind of calm down and just come back.
18:30So I was like, okay.
18:31Then I went for city games, did very well.
18:33And then didn't qualify to Rio.
18:36That was heartbreaking for me because I was only 0.1 off.
18:39And then going for Tokyo and so I was at world championships in Stuttgart, um, the night before.
18:48I've always been nervous, but when people say they have elephants in their stomach, I had like elephants, not butterflies, like elephants.
18:55I was so, so nervous because I felt not qualifying before.
18:59And that was like heartbreaking, not even heartbreaking.
19:02Like people say when you can feel your heartbreak, that's how I felt.
19:05And I say I'll tear up now because it was so devastating to me to not be able to go to Rio.
19:09And then, um.
19:10Point one, you said.
19:11Point one.
19:12And it was my, like, it was my fault, right?
19:14So I didn't do the best that I could do it.
19:17And, you know, that's why I always tell people, if you do 110%, if you've done everything, then you, you won't feel guilty or you wouldn't feel that you failed.
19:26Because you always, you do the best that you can do.
19:28And whatever the results, that will be the results.
19:30But I knew I didn't do my best.
19:31And that was so devastating to me.
19:34And then, so for the Stuttgart 2019, I remember feeling like I wanted to cry.
19:40Like I had all these emotions in my head.
19:42And so I just put on like a sad movie and I cried.
19:45And it was, it was very nice to have like my teammates.
19:47So all of us, it's very interesting.
19:49We all had supported each other, but we were all doing our own things that night.
19:52So we weren't talking to each other because we were all trying to process through this huge milestone that we would have to compete tomorrow.
19:57And one of us would be able to qualify because it's like an individual spot.
20:01Okay.
20:02But the morning of it, I felt very calm.
20:05And I remember just saying like a prayer saying, just give me the strength to the best that I can do to be the best of my capabilities and just to do what I've trained for and just to have a good day.
20:17And I remember because it was in the bus, it was like drizzling.
20:23And I got at the competition and my leotard, my flag actually ripped.
20:27Oh.
20:27And then my coach, oh my God.
20:30So by my coach, Ms. Tanya, she always has like a needle and thread.
20:33She always like pipette, right?
20:34So she has pins, thread, everything in her bag because we go through this.
20:38So she's like, she's throwing up like my flag on my leotard.
20:41And we go out there and I did a really good competition.
20:45My last event was a bit shaky, but then came on and like, I was one of the first few groups competing.
20:51And so the whole day I had to wait to figure out if I qualified.
20:55And at night, like the schedule came out.
20:56And then my older sister, she actually texted me because she was like, you know, refreshing that page.
21:02Checking and checking.
21:03My parents at home, my mom.
21:06When my mom tells me this story, she was so nervous because they didn't show us live.
21:09So she could only see the scores.
21:11And so she was just so nervous.
21:13And when I finally got it, I just texted my family group and I'm like, Tokyo, here we go.
21:18Yeah.
21:18And I had to step out my room because my teammates are like happy for me, but also it's like sad for them.
21:24So I like have been in, you know, like both spots.
21:26So I like removed myself from the room and I actually went to like my coach's room because she was staying in a different room.
21:31And like, we just like hugged and cried.
21:34And I just, you know, I've, that was really like a moment where I'm like, oh, I finally did it.
21:41You know, I was really like, yeah.
21:43It was really, really like a happy moment for me.
21:46And obviously we had a pandemic, but at that moment, years and years of training has gotten me here.
21:53And then I can finally like, you know, it's the, the ice cream, the dessert in my career.
22:00Yeah.
22:00That's amazing.
22:01Yeah.
22:01Like even now when you tell it, it's like, we can feel it like we're there, like we're there with you.
22:06And a big part of it was that making that comparison with Rio and then Tokyo.
22:12So I've had like my heart shattered.
22:15And then like, so it's the one thing about being an athlete, right, is you go through so many emotions, like the lowest of low and the highest of highs.
22:22Yeah.
22:23So it's just very, it's, it's a wonderful thing being an athlete, but also like, yeah, you have to go through.
22:30A lot.
22:31Yeah.
22:31As you have expressed so eloquently already.
22:35And after having gone through all of that, since you were three years old, three years old, you retired.
22:42Yeah.
22:42So retirement is often seen by many as the end of an athlete's career, but it could be the beginning of something else as well.
22:54How has it been for you?
22:56It was quite devastating for me to have to retire because I knew in my heart that it was the right move, but it took a lot to get there.
23:04Like in the gym, I was, I was feeling very demotivated.
23:07I was feeling very upset.
23:08And so like my coach, she was like, I cannot tell you what to do.
23:12It's like, you need to have make this decision.
23:15And so I had to talk to a lot of people, like my family, my sisters, like my friends.
23:21So there was a lot of people that I kind of went for advice.
23:23So people who had already retired.
23:25So I was, I was like talking to my teammate, like Tracy, she had retired like the year before.
23:30And so I asked her how, you know, so I was like hoping that people, other person could make this decision for me, you know,
23:37because then they would like lift like this weight off my shoulders.
23:40But I knew I had to make this decision, decision by myself.
23:43So I asked my older sister who also went through the same thing.
23:45She was a national athlete and then she also retired.
23:48And she's like, where's your pros and cons lifts?
23:50You know, like have this.
23:52And I think the point of me retiring was I came into the gym and I wasn't enjoying it anymore.
23:56And I was kind of very emotional.
23:59And I just told myself, you know, I don't have to be here anymore.
24:02And I knew at that point it was like, I need to like go.
24:05So I think I needed to get to that point because I would have never left if I was still happy in the gym.
24:10And it's not like I didn't enjoy training.
24:14I think it was just like I was already kind of done everything I wanted to do.
24:20I've always knew that I wanted to retire after the Olympics.
24:22And so I had already put a plan in motion.
24:24But it was just kind of trying to like squeeze that last bit of, you know, maybe.
24:29But I think it was the right decision for me.
24:31And I was at the height of my career.
24:33And I think I was just at the right moment to do it for me.
24:37And I was very lucky to be able to do it for me.
24:40Because I think a lot of athletes sometimes they don't get to choose their path where they either have to retire because they're injured or like there's other factors.
24:48But I was very lucky to be able to make the decision by myself.
24:51And not because I was injured and not because I couldn't go with training.
24:54It was just my wholeheartedly decision to leave.
24:57But saying that it was a very hard time for me because I had always identified as, you know, Farah and the gymnast.
25:03And that's what people always knew me as.
25:05And then now I'm just Farah.
25:07And I was like, who is this person?
25:09You know, who is this person without gymnastics?
25:11And I, it was very hard for me as, you know, that sometimes, for example, even Michael Phelps went through depression.
25:20A lot of very big athletes go through a period of time because you give everything of yourself.
25:25Like it's an identity that was like merged together.
25:28And then now it's like half of me is like gone.
25:31Yeah, because it's interesting that you say that because so many people who are in the public eye, such as yourself, become known for one thing.
25:42Yeah.
25:42For being that one thing.
25:43But you are so much more than that one thing.
25:46Yeah.
25:46That does it sometimes feel that because people see you as the one thing, do you start seeing yourself just as being that Olympian only as well?
25:55Like do you have to remind yourself, I'm not just this one aspect of my personality of my life.
26:00It's funny because sometimes I'd be like, oh, I'm not that person anymore.
26:04So I'm not important.
26:06I don't know.
26:07It's like sometimes I feel like that.
26:08And my friends is like, you are far ahead.
26:09Like, you know, you are far ahead.
26:11Like, you know, sometimes like, you know, you can do anything that you want.
26:14Whatever you put your mind to.
26:15I think for me, what was high was people always assumed that I would jump into something straight away.
26:21And I needed like a mourning process, you know, like to mourn that version of me and to find something new.
26:27So basically, like, you know, like you have to chisel yourself down so that you can build yourself back up.
26:32And so, yeah, it took me a while.
26:34But I think now I'm, I'm venturing.
26:37That's why people ask me, what do you do now?
26:39I'm just, I'm doing all these things because I've never been able to do all these other things.
26:43I've never been able to be like far and maybe like, you may be in broadcasting or far and in business.
26:49You know, other things that don't revolve around sport.
26:52Sport will always be my number one.
26:53It will always be where my heart is.
26:54But, you know, it's time to find something else.
26:58And I've been very lucky to be able to find that version of myself.
27:03Wow.
27:04Speaking of the multiple facets of Farah Ann, as someone who minored in gender studies.
27:09Yes, I did.
27:09You minored in gender studies.
27:11How do you think societal expectations of women, both like in and outside of sports, shaped your journey?
27:19Like, did it, did it factor in?
27:20Yeah.
27:21And do you ever feel like you needed to push back against what people expect?
27:24Yes.
27:24So it's very interesting because I did intergenerate studies and gender.
27:28I think being in sports, I believe when I was very young that because gymnastics is such a beautiful sport,
27:36that is, you have to be very strong, but also very like artistic.
27:40So it's a blend, I would say, of both very feminine and masculine characteristics.
27:46Right.
27:48And I've been very lucky to be surrounded by very strong women.
27:52And even when I was in school, I would always be, I would, you know, always challenge the boys in like running competitions.
27:57Or if the teacher would be like, oh, our boys pick up the chair.
28:00I'd be like, why?
28:01Like, I can, you know, I can do it too.
28:02Yeah.
28:03And in sports, I realized actually kind of the divide a bit when I was a bit older, it was more from like the media side,
28:11where it would always be like, oh, look at like her outfit or her hair or her makeup.
28:16Right.
28:16And it would be like, oh, the top five, like, prettiest athletes.
28:21Right.
28:22And I was like, okay.
28:23Yeah.
28:23And so that's kind of the divide and where people would always be, instead of looking at their achievements
28:30or being, them being strong or what kind of the sport itself, it became more like a beauty contest,
28:38you know, as like a female athlete.
28:40Yeah.
28:40And, and as you know, not all, it would be like in Malaysia that we are paid the same.
28:46It doesn't matter if you're female or male athlete, everything is very similar, but overseas it's not.
28:52So I think those are the device where people feel that sports is still very male dominated.
28:56And whenever like a female comes along, it's always kind of like in passing, you know?
29:03And for me, that's why I was, every time I talk about like gender or I always talk about like woman empowerment
29:10is because I think it's such an important thing that we need to talk about because sports is an argument.
29:16It's like a female or male, that everyone is there because they want to be the best at their sport.
29:22And it doesn't matter if they're female or male, they're there to, you know, be the top 1%,
29:28the best athlete that they can be, hone their skills, be strong, be all these characteristics.
29:33So it's very, a very neutral space.
29:36And that's why I love like sports because it doesn't matter if I'm female or male.
29:40Like if I'm the best, I'm the best.
29:42Yeah.
29:42Right?
29:43Yeah.
29:43And so I think being in that background and then also understanding the multiple dynamics of having,
29:51being a woman in sports, but also having my degree, it was very interesting to understand
29:57why people act the way they do and all the multi-level dynamics that are actually happening
30:05in our society that makes women feel that way.
30:09Or why certain people view female as kind of the lesser gender sometimes.
30:14Or, and kids especially, sometimes parents will be like, oh, they need to like study or they,
30:20it's not very womanly.
30:22Yes, yes.
30:23Right?
30:24All the time.
30:24So I think it's very important to, for me to be that role model, to be saying that like,
30:29if I can do it, then you can do it too.
30:30Right.
30:31To advocate for, for people who don't feel empowered enough.
30:34Yeah.
30:35And for a person like you to do it, it makes it feel more real.
30:40Because it's strange how, like you mentioned, right, like people are there to compete as
30:45athletes.
30:45Yeah.
30:45And yet they put this most beautiful list, best looking list.
30:49Yeah.
30:49And sometimes the people who make that list are not like the main people who are representing
30:55the country even.
30:56Yeah.
30:57So.
30:57It's very interesting because it's, and then there's also another facet to it.
31:03Then people will be like, oh, that person's too like manly.
31:06Hmm.
31:07And it's like, you know, so then there's another dynamic of it of like, you still want to be
31:12like feminine, but then because you do sport, then you're too manly.
31:15Then people don't like it as well.
31:16Right.
31:16So they're very different, different dynamics to like sports.
31:19And it's also very interesting of why certain sports wear, wear certain outfits.
31:23And then we go into about like viewership.
31:26And for example, you have like football when they was like, oh, we don't pay our female
31:30athletes as much as the men because the viewership.
31:32And then they were proven very, very wrong with like the female workup.
31:36Right.
31:36And it's interesting, right?
31:37When you say workup, you always think about men.
31:40Why do females have the female workup?
31:41So these are very like interesting dynamics because with gymnastics, it's not.
31:44It's just the workup.
31:45Right.
31:46It's the workup.
31:46It's not like a female workup.
31:47It's just the workup.
31:48We say it's about performance all the time.
31:49Yeah.
31:50But at the same time, it's judged based on looks while the performance becomes secondary
31:54sometimes.
31:55It's not just how good you are at the sport.
31:57It turns into how good looking you are.
32:00And I think media plays a big role as well.
32:01Right.
32:02Because with commentators, when you talk about athlete, oh, like they say, oh, she's wearing
32:07that or she's very pretty.
32:09So the words that we use especially are also very interesting and also play a role in making
32:17people's viewership.
32:19Because when you say things that you point out, so people actually like change their perception.
32:25Yeah.
32:25And the more you hear the same thing.
32:27Yeah.
32:28Then you, it goes on like that.
32:30Yeah.
32:30Wow.
32:31What changes do you think or developments would you like to see in Malaysian gymnastics and
32:38broader, the broader sports community in the coming years based on everything that you've
32:42just said, actually, right?
32:43That you've already highlighted.
32:44Yeah.
32:45I think for me, it's always just growing the community.
32:48I believe that gymnastics is such a wonderful sport.
32:51But when you can do it as a professional, it's not, and for kids, it's such a wonderful
32:57sport because it builds your strength, it builds your flexibility, teamwork.
33:02There's so many facets to gymnastics that you can actually use it to go on to maybe like
33:07different sports or even just being a healthier version of yourself.
33:10Right.
33:10And I think just like building up more of the community and to have a safe community.
33:15I think now in sports, obviously, there are a lot of highlights about how sometimes sports
33:21are unsafe.
33:23Right.
33:23And I think it's just to have a good community, a safe community for kids to thrive in, for
33:29gymnasts to thrive in, and obviously to make more world-class athletes, but also for people
33:36to see how fun sports is.
33:38Yeah.
33:38You know, how it can be incorporated into their lives.
33:41Right.
33:41And it's been highlighted by some medical journals, in fact, that many elite athletes
33:50such as yourself, depending on the sport that they engage in, because of the rigorous training
33:55that many athletes such as yourself go through, sometimes you do so much beyond what is a regular
34:02human is supposed to go through that then your body's, a body can start to suffer later
34:08on in life.
34:08Right.
34:09You can start feeling the pains.
34:11Yes.
34:11We need to, do you feel something needs to be done to find a balance between the extremes
34:16and finding a safe way to do this?
34:20Or is it just up to an individual because they have chosen that path?
34:23Okay.
34:24So this is one of the things that I always say where sports is good for you, but elite
34:29sports is not.
34:30Yeah.
34:31By like the many, many injuries that I've had throughout the years, I think it's also
34:36finding a balance.
34:37But in order to be the best, you do have to go through multiple of injuries.
34:43Yeah.
34:43Unfortunately, that's the nature of elite sports.
34:47Right.
34:48But in saying that there has been a lot of progression in sports science, in medicine.
34:54For example, if you had an ACL, MCL injury 10, 15 years ago, it was like the end of your career.
35:00Now people have like two and are still the best in their field.
35:04And it's also training based on your capabilities.
35:07And what I'm saying is that like different people train well in different ways.
35:13Right.
35:13For example, I have a teammate who builds muscles really fast.
35:17So her training program is very different from mine.
35:19Or some people have skills that they are better at like learning.
35:23So there's a lot of things that we can do to make sure that the athletes are safe and
35:29also not putting them in a position of harm while saying that if you have an injury,
35:34sometimes it is important to take a step back.
35:36Or if they have to go out and compete, making sure that there are the right doctors,
35:42the right physios are taking care of them.
35:44Because I used to go to physio every single day.
35:46I used to do recovery every day.
35:48And it's very important for coaches and athletes to understand the physicality of it,
35:52to understand the science of it.
35:55Nutrition plays such an important role that I think sometimes it's lacking.
35:59If you go like overseas, there are some teams that there is a chef on hand
36:04that can serve every single meal for each body to make sure that all of their hormones
36:08are balanced.
36:09They get everything that they need.
36:10So it's actually, it can be down to a very specific science.
36:15Right.
36:15That I think that it's very important for us as athletes to also be more aware of,
36:22but also people taking care of us.
36:23Because obviously when I started very young, so I was like 18, competing for me at 10,
36:27like what would I know, right?
36:28So it's also like a community of like parents also understanding how important nutrition is.
36:34Even now, like even when I'm not an athlete, like nutrition plays such an important role.
36:38And for me, even now, it's like understanding which exercises work best.
36:42Obviously, I'm not going to train six hours a day anymore, right?
36:44So don't try to put that in.
36:45You've earned the right to not do that, actually, right?
36:48Definitely.
36:49You know, it goes without saying that you have a lot to be proud of when it comes to
36:56your achievements in the sports, in sports, in the sports arena, right?
37:00What are you most proud of if you took sports aside?
37:04What are you most proud of?
37:06I think if I took sports aside, it's actually just having, okay, so I can always categorize
37:13it as, you know, having a wonderful like family and to have that support system.
37:20I'm also very proud of the person that I am, not in sports.
37:27So it's very hard to say because a lot of the values that I've learned is through sports,
37:31but I think that the values that I have and what I want in life is very...
37:45Yeah, it's a lot to think about, right?
37:48It's a lot to think about.
37:49I'm going to answer this.
37:50Yeah.
37:51Yeah.
37:51It doesn't even have to be the perfect...
37:54There's no right or wrong answer.
37:55It's just what right now at this moment, it could change later on.
37:58But at this moment, what comes to mind?
38:00Yeah, just having...
38:03I'm very proud of just being surrounded by people that I trust and the values that I
38:12have in life, I think, are something that I'm proud of.
38:16Right.
38:16And these values exist outside of sports as well, right?
38:21Yeah.
38:22You know, sports has helped me build it, but I think that that's really saying a lot
38:29about, you know, my upbringing and like having my family around me and like very good friends
38:33and like all the people around me have taught me both sides, right?
38:38So that people have taught me, you know, strength in myself, but the good people have been there
38:44to support me.
38:45Yeah.
38:45It's like almost like constantly having to remind people that you're a whole person.
38:49You're a whole person.
38:50You're not just the athlete.
38:52You're a whole person.
38:53You know, what advice would you give to parents who want to support their child in pursuing
38:58competitive sports while ensuring they maintain a healthy relationship with it as well?
39:02You've mentioned a little bit about it already, making sure that training is done right,
39:06nutrition is important.
39:07Is there anything, like, is there a psychological, mental side, support side of it?
39:12Yes, of course.
39:13So my parents, they never forced me to do gymnastics.
39:20Oh, right.
39:21Yeah.
39:21They, yes, I started very young, so obviously they were there to like, you know, send me
39:25to training sessions, but they were never there to be, you have to do sports.
39:30You have to go for it.
39:31They were, they never forced it upon me.
39:33So it was really much my decision to be able to choose the sport for me.
39:39Right.
39:40It took a lot of effort for them because they needed to send me every day for trainings.
39:46So it is the job of like parents to support their children because they won't be able
39:52to do it by themselves.
39:53So it's, your job is to be there to be a supporting, a guiding head.
39:58So that's my advice to parents.
40:00Like be there for your children because they will go through a lot.
40:03When they're injured, when they're down, when you don't win or when they win, it's
40:07very important for you to be there for them.
40:10And for you, it was always your choice.
40:12Is that what you're saying?
40:13Which is not the case for, which is not what everyone goes through, right?
40:17So you were fortunate.
40:18I was very fortunate to have parents who loved sports and they wanted to see their children
40:24succeed.
40:24So I think that was a very good point that allowed me to choose.
40:30But I think also for parents is that it's a sacrifice you need to make to be able to
40:37be there for your children.
40:39Sounds like you really appreciate your parents a lot.
40:42Because I wouldn't like, I wouldn't be here without like my family.
40:45Do they know?
40:46Do they know how much you appreciate them?
40:47Yes, I think so.
40:48I've told them many times.
40:50I hope they know.
40:53Yeah.
40:53I mean, yeah.
40:56So they've been there.
40:57That was the one thing with Tokyo that I was a bit sad about.
41:00It's because they couldn't be there.
41:01And it was my last competition.
41:02Oh.
41:03Yeah.
41:03So I had planned out a whole thing of like, you know, getting business class tickets
41:07for them, you know, to fly there, like stay in a nice hotel.
41:09You know, for me, it was just a way to say like thank you because they try always to go
41:14for all my competitions, especially international ones.
41:16And especially if me and my sister were competing because it does take a lot of money to fly for
41:23this competition to buy the tickets.
41:24And so they had already bought the tickets.
41:26Everything was kind of done.
41:28And then the pandemic happened.
41:30So, yeah.
41:31So that was like my one regret is not having my parents there.
41:34Wow.
41:35That's the one thing you would change?
41:36Yeah, that's the one thing you would change.
41:37Because I think it's such a family affair.
41:39So even my sister, like I would have loved to have my whole family there.
41:43It's more of just like to experience it as a family.
41:46Yeah.
41:46Right.
41:47Yeah.
41:47Wow.
41:47You know, because it's not just me.
41:49It's like you were robbed of that.
41:50Yeah, that's the only thing I was like, oh, I wished.
41:53But it doesn't take away how proud they are of you though, right?
41:56Yeah.
41:56And of your achievements.
41:58I think so.
41:58I hope so.
41:59I know so.
42:02Based on what you're telling me, I know so.
42:04And, you know, speaking of appreciation, we appreciate you joining us.
42:07We've got rapid fire questions for you now, okay?
42:09Awesome.
42:10So you've got to, the first thing that comes to mind is what you need to answer.
42:13Sounds great.
42:13Okay.
42:14I'll try.
42:14Wait, here we go.
42:15Here we go.
42:15Okay.
42:16The skill that gave you the most trouble?
42:18You can go twist.
42:19Oh, okay.
42:21Google it.
42:22Yes, go Google it.
42:23If you could choreograph a routine to any song, what would it be?
42:26Hmm.
42:26I have the song in my head, but I don't know the name of it.
42:31Okay.
42:32How does it go?
42:33You can sing it.
42:34No.
42:35Never have my phone.
42:36Are we going to hear Farah Ann sing for the very first time?
42:38No.
42:40I'll send you the track that you're going to overlay it on.
42:42Okay.
42:43It is this song.
42:44This song.
42:45Insert song.
42:46Insert song.
42:47Insert title of song.
42:48Farah Ann will remember and then she will send it to us now.
42:50Yes.
42:51So it's not really fire, but yeah.
42:52No, the reason, okay, explaining my thing.
42:55Because I was listening to this song and I was choreographing a routine in my head.
42:58I'd be like, oh, this would be so good, cute for like a kid to do.
43:01Yeah.
43:01And then, yeah, I had like a few moves that I thought it would be cute.
43:05So yes.
43:06Now we need to see this routine as well.
43:08Because people don't understand how hard it is for us to choreograph.
43:12My coach, Ms. Natalia, she choreographs all my routines.
43:15And it takes her like months because she looks at the person.
43:18She has to see what they, you know, kind of their vibe.
43:22Right.
43:22People use vibe differently, but I mean like their aura.
43:25I don't even like this.
43:26I'm like, I'm not that generous.
43:29I'm a bit older than that, but yeah.
43:31So it's like a whole thing.
43:32And then she will ask us our opinion.
43:33And then we do the moves.
43:34So it takes a lot for us to get like routines.
43:36So this song would be perfect.
43:38Yes.
43:38I feel like I could also probably perform to this song.
43:41All right.
43:42This song.
43:43This song.
43:43They cut out all my explanation and then reprobate it and then I filled it together.
43:47We would never do that to you, Farah Ann.
43:48Of course.
43:49We would never.
43:49Yeah.
43:50Now, if you could compete in any other Olympic sport, what would it be?
43:54Ice skating.
43:54Ice skating.
43:55Yes.
43:55And you've done it like in your own time.
43:59I've done it once or twice.
44:00And to the dismay of my mom, because my mom is Canadian.
44:02Okay.
44:03And so I like hockey and ice.
44:05So I should be better, but I'm not.
44:07But I feel that because I love watching it.
44:12Right.
44:13I know that I'll be able to do it if I trained.
44:15I think if I put the same amount of passion in ice skating and gymnastics, I'd be able to do both.
44:19Who's an athlete?
44:20Any sport that you'd love to train with for a day?
44:23Michael David.
44:24I feel like that might have already happened.
44:27It has already happened.
44:28Okay.
44:28So nice.
44:30Right?
44:30I did.
44:31She invited me to play squash with her and I won one point against her.
44:34That's right.
44:35And it's a pity point.
44:36She was like, no, it's not.
44:37I'm like, ma'am.
44:39You played squash with her.
44:41I'm terrible at every other sport except for gymnastics.
44:44It's so funny when people play sports with me when I'm terrible at it.
44:48They're like, yeah.
44:49I won skill, which is gymnastics.
44:51If you had to describe gymnastics in one word, what would it be?
44:55Amazing.
44:56Ah, right.
44:56What's your go-to post-competition meal or snack?
45:00It's funny because if you Google 2015, there is like literal newspaper articles where I've
45:08asked for like cake.
45:09I asked my family to bring a cake for me.
45:11Cake?
45:12Is there a specific cake?
45:13No, it just doesn't matter.
45:14I just want cake.
45:15Just cake?
45:16Cake and fried chicken.
45:17Oh.
45:18Together?
45:19So we can eat fried chicken and then cake.
45:21You know what?
45:22This is a judgment-free zone.
45:23If you want to eat your fried chicken and your cake together.
45:26We listen and we don't judge.
45:27We listen.
45:28That is the trend.
45:30Yes, you're making it happen.
45:31We are that young.
45:32Well, you are.
45:33Okay.
45:33Final one.
45:35If you had like the opportunity to make one change as Prime Minister of Malaysia for a day.
45:43Okay.
45:43I have answer for this.
45:44Okay.
45:44What would you be and why?
45:45I would make sure that there are ways for people to walk on the street.
45:51Oh my god.
45:52I have that.
45:52What is it?
45:53Pavements.
45:54No, but like walkways.
45:55Yes.
45:57Not enough.
45:57Not enough.
45:58You need to be able to walk.
45:59So have like walkways for people to be able to walk and public transport.
46:02Right.
46:03Yes.
46:04You heard it here.
46:05Yes.
46:05It's official now.
46:06More walkways.
46:07The reason you start with the walkways is because in order to be healthier, you need
46:12to walk more.
46:13Because a lot of people live sedentary lives.
46:14But you can't walk because there's nowhere to walk in Malaysia.
46:16You're right.
46:17Right?
46:17If there is a park, if you can walk next to a park.
46:20So the walkways will walk through the park.
46:21So then we build like parks so then people can be healthier.
46:23And when people are healthier, they're happier.
46:24And so when you have happy people, you know, people are healthier.
46:27And so, you know, like Malaysia is like top five.
46:29We have the highest ranked obesity rates in like the world.
46:33So, you know, that's the plan.
46:36See?
46:37Time is through.
46:38If you work for DBKL, you are going to get a letter or maybe a proposal from Farah Ann.
46:46I am not arguing with anything that you have to say because I agree completely.
46:51That's right.
46:52But we appreciate you again.
46:53Thank you so much for...
46:54You're amazing.
46:56Work for Farah Ann for the next election.
46:58Yes.