Written by: Caleigh Heng, Cho Han, Darius Loong, Naima Razali
While Singaporeans celebrated National Day on Aug 9 2024, Team Singapore kitefoiler Max Maeder had brought home, in the words of PM Lawrence Wong, a “beautiful birthday gift to Singapore” from 10,722km away. The 18-year-old kitefoiling prodigy made national sporting history at the 2024 Paris Olympics, having clinched Singapore’s first-ever Olympic sailing bronze medal – and he’s just getting started.
In the short three months since then, Maeder has not only already snagged three more consecutive wins at major kitefoiling championships around the world, but has also won the title of Young World Sailor of the Year at the 2024 World Sailing Awards.
His stellar achievements consistently being launched into the spotlight means he is inspiring and paving the way for a new generation of young Singaporean athletes, who too, aspire to be where he is someday.
A Culture of Support
Maeder’s level of success is the growing pinnacle that many young Singaporean athletes aspire to reach, but even the strongest athletes cannot rely on their own strength to succeed; support is highly crucial in their journeys to success.
“I have to thank the fact that I compete for Singapore and how great it is to be a high-performance athlete here…you don’t get better support anywhere else,” Maeder shared, speaking to Stories & Co. journalists during a meet and greet session at Temasek Polytechnic (TP).
Indeed, the support infrastructure for Singapore’s elite athletes provides them with a support system like no other. In August 2024, Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth announced the spexEducation Undergraduate Scholarship, a new scholarship offered to local student athletes who have the potential to excel in their sport. The scholarship will provide recipients with funding support for expenses incurred during their undergraduate studies, such as tuition fees, and in turn “provide greater assurance to [them] that their tertiary education can be taken care of”, Mr Tong shared in his speech at the High Performance Sport Ecosystem Stakeholders engagement session.
The support that Singapore’s young athletes receive, in both mainstream and more niche sports like kitefoiling, does not just stop at financial provisions. Maeder also mentions that brand sponsorships are another significant source of support he receives.
“The brands that support me and stand behind my message and mission and journey. They’ve helped me with providing the platform to be able to go out and train and compete,” he said.
Brand sponsorships provide athletes with both physical and financial resources, including sponsored gear, equipment, and even travel costs. Maeder, for example, has endorsements from kitesurfing and water sports gear companies such as Flysurfer, Levitaz, and WIP.
Closer to home, Singaporean brands such as Yeo’s and DBS have also collaborated with Maeder, hence it is no surprise that he has expressed his desire for more corporate brands to endorse Singapore’s athletes, having received strong support from them.
No matter his out-of-this-world achievements, Maeder still stays true to his roots, holding in high regard the support provided by those closest to him as well.
Said Max, gesturing to his team who were sitting in the room with him: “You have the team that I’m with, you know – the people on the water: my coach, my training partner, my co-pilot – the person who helps me with gear and all. And then my family and all of these pillars of support I’m very grateful for and I’m very fortunate to have.”
With so many pillars of external support, from government grants and scholarships, to corporate endorsements, Singapore’s next generation of high-performance athletes seem to be set for success. But is external support enough to nurture sporting excellence?
The Motivations to Persevere
Maeder’s achievements may seem effortless, but the journey to the podium demands an immense level of determination and resilience – qualities that are not always visible to the public eye. For Maeder, the commitment to push through challenges stems not only from the support he receives, but from his deep-seated passion for the sports, and a vision to inspire.
Reflecting on his approach to setbacks, Maeder describes his perspective not as one of sacrifices, but rather of making purposeful choices that align with his passion.
“It’s about moving towards something that you can contribute and share more in and that brings you yourself more joy,” he shared.
This mindset guides Maeder as he faces physical demands of training, and the mental discipline needed for intense international competition. His routine typically includes both physical conditioning and mental exercises, such as playing chess to sharpen focus and maintain a clear mind during his games.
For Singapore’s aspiring athletes, Maeder’s journey underscores the importance of perseverance fueled by a clear purpose.
“if you put your mind to something and you pragmatically, step by step, move towards the goal that you set, you will be more than surprised by what you’re capable of.”
This quiet confidence and optimism are perhaps Maeder’s greatest strengths – qualities that resonate with those inspired by his story, showing that with the right balance of passion, perspective, and perseverance, there is no limit to what can be achieved.
Life after Sports: Hard truths for Singapore's aspiring athletes
However, Maeder’s success on Singapore’s sporting scene scarcely reflects the reality for most aspiring athletes. Perhaps the greatest challenge our athletes face is life after sports. Most athletes have short-lived careers, and without sustained success at major events, the majority simply do not have big enough pay checks to make a decent living in retirement.
An article by CNA exploring life after sports for Singaporean footballers highlighted that hardly any can retire without needing to work again. This harsh reality for athletes is emphasised when considering that the Singapore Premier League, a football league, is the country’s sole professional sports league.
Often, the same holds true even for athletes who do achieve success. Despite winning 40 gold medals for Singapore at the SEA Games during her illustrious career, former Olympic swimmer Joscelin Yeo had to rely on her parents and sponsorships to cover her sporting expenses. She is currently the co-founder of Into The Wild, an organiser of wilderness camps for children.
The Major Games Award Programme — under which Maeder recently received a substantial $250,000 award for his Olympic Bronze Medal, offers Singapore’s largest payouts for athletic success. However, awards are granted solely to medallists at select major games, with vastly varying payouts. To put things into perspective, an individual gold medal at the SEA Games would net an athlete just $10,000 in comparison to $1 million for an Olympic gold, which is the highest payout globally.
With the high costs involved in competing at the highest level and minimal financial return, life after sports in Singapore can be unforgiving for athletes who never make it onto the biggest podiums.
Carrying the weight of the nation's expectations
Maeder’s journey to success at the world’s biggest stage is as much a story of strength as it is of support. Coupled with a level of maturity beyond his years, the best is surely yet to be for Singapore’s sixth and youngest Olympic medallist.
While his performance at the games fell short of his own expectations, the two-time world champion understood just how much was at stake with his achievement — carrying the weight of a nation’s hopes and desires. Maeder knew that a win would bring much pride and joy to Singaporeans, who had not seen Olympic success since swimmer Joseph Schooling struck gold at the 2016 Olympics in the 100m butterfly.
He does not let the expectations weigh him down. Instead, he chooses to reframe it as positive motivation.
“I smile not because I have to, but because I want to from what I’ve seen. And that really, it opened up my world and I thought, wow, you know, it’s such a wonderful thing and such a wonderful connection. And the fact that I was able to bring a smile to so many people put a smile on my face,” he said emphatically.
For aspiring athletes inspired by his journey, an uphill climb lies ahead in striving for success both in and beyond their sporting years. But with more athletes like Maeder inspiring a nation, and greater support going towards the development of athletes in recent times, the Team Singapore Dream may just be within reach for many more.
