Former Langara student recalls his Olympic experience
While Canada continues to strive for gold in Sochi, Russia, former Langara student Tobias (Toby) Ng fights for his preparation for the 2016 summer games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Ng attended Langara College from 2005 to 2007, being enrolled in Human Kinetics before transferring to UBC. He was a part of the Langara Falcons badminton team, named to the 1st BCCAA All-Star team in 2006. He won Langara Male Athlete of the Year in 2007.
He later transferred to UBC to continue with his studies, but his highlight came in 2012, representing Canada in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.
“It was a real honour to wear the Canadian Olympic gear especially when walking during that opening ceremony,” said Ng. “However, for I actually had to wear yellow and black in competition, as those were Pan American colours and I was representing the continent in my event. Pretty cool, but I think I look much better in red.
There wasn’t much expectation for Canada to medal in badminton, as China, Indonesia, and Denmark were the heavy favourites going into the tournament. The team of Ng and his partner Grace Gao lost all three matches in London, but did win a game against Japan.
Ng does regret not developing a better strength and conditioning baseline, as he believes this would have play a significant role during his time in London.
However, having the support back in Canada made the experience unforgettable.
“It was great to have so much support from friends, family, and the many Canadian fans back home. Everyone was so encouraging and I am thankful to have so many people support us through our Olympic journey.”
Since the Olympics in 2012, he won Mixed’s Doubles in the Canadian Nationals and the Peru Internationals in Lima, Peru.
For student athletes of Langara College, Ng advises them to be realistic with their goals, and to find something that stands out from the rest of the crop.
“Depending on the sport, it may not be realistic to attempt training, competing, and schooling at the same time. Additionally, standing out from the rest doesn’t always mean training more than others, but maximizing opportunities that arise. Even then, sometimes luck is a factor; genetics can be a factor. Every situation is different for everyone; every opportunity counts in following that Olympic dream.”
Ng is currently in Austria competing at the 2014 Austrian International Challenge. He and partner Alex Bruce is currently ranked 77th in the world.
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