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When Ashley was 10 years old, growing up and going to school in Singapore, it was compulsory to do a sport. Every student had to be in at least 1 co-curricular activity. Ashley chose track and field because of her father’s passion for it, and it just so happened that she was really good at long jump, and it soon became her passion.
When asked what she loves about her sport, Ashley says “I enjoy the feeling in the air, as cliché as that sounds, it gives me a sense of flying.” Overtime, she started to compete, and felt a drive to win and jump the furthest in competition. “Although long jump is an individual sport, I also love meeting competitors who become friends and training buddies along the way,” she adds. However, it has not always been an easy journey. Ashley talks about the roller coaster ride that is trying to represent your country on the international stage, and the challenges in getting sufficient support. But in 2016 she ranked 2nd in Singapore and had the honour of competing on the international level in the Singapore Open.
When Ashley first came to the Athlete Factory she was suffering from a back injury. That, combined with living in a new country was difficult, yet she was willing to do whatever it took to take her performance to the next level. “The initial focus was undoing all of my ‘bad habits’; improving my movement patterns and coordination, and then generating even more power” says Ashley. Surprisingly the popular sprint drills now almost universally adopted, although effective for maximum velocity running are not conducive to more propulsive events, not only long jump but even acceleration and change of direction. The results are not only reduced performance, but also far greater injury risk. This is the basis of Athlete Factory founder Paul Balsom’s doctorate thesis and why athletes are seeing tremendous gains with our methods.
When asked what makes Athlete Factory different, Ashley is quick to point to the focus placed on every single detail from a high-performance perspective, and states that “the Athlete Factory is an elite strength and conditioning company that welcomes anyone who is willing to make the change and perform at one’s best. This approach has helped accelerate my improvements, and I am more driven than ever to work hard and perform at my best during every training session and competition.” In the next 12 months Ashley’s goal is to compete in the outdoor season with a new personal best, and represent Singapore internationally. To help her achieve this, Ashley talks about “making further changes to my mindset, to that of an elite level” so that every element of her conditioning is of the highest caliber and in line with “the pathway that the Athlete Factory has provided”.
“Trust the processes. Trust your coach and believe in your goals,” says Ashley.
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