I have had six therapy sessions with an autistic boy... Whenever he comes for session, I would ask him how his day went at school. I usually get the same reply from him, which is "I don't know". On our 6th session, when I asked him, he actually shared with me that he did not have a good day initially as he did badly for his spelling. Then he told me that because he was sad, he picked up his favorite comic to read to cheer himself up. As he shared his experience with me, his face lit up with a grin =o)
It was certainly a moment of joy that he could share his feelings with me (most autistic individuals have difficulty sharing their emotions/feelings). I told his mother what he had shared with me and she did tell me that it was unusual as he usually only shares his feelings with his immediate family members.
We are definitely making a great leap forward in our progress... I am certainly looking forward to many more moments where he would share his feelings, thoughts and emotions with me and others around him.
It is usually the little things that etch joy on our faces and love in our hearts =o)
31 July, 2010
24 July, 2010
Being Blessed...
We had a seminar for the Fifth Ray runners last night at the centre. We started off the seminar with the Gold Coast Marathoners sharing their marathon experience with the rest of the runners. It was truly informative and inspiring!
After the sharing I started my seminar on "Positive Thinking for Runners". We did quite a bit of sharing and had great fun. Through the sharing, I realized how blessed I was to have a group of very positive minded runners. They are very supportive and encouraging towards each other. Basically, they bring out the BEST in each other. I am very blessed to be given the opportunity to train and journey with each and every one of these wonderful runners. As a coach, you really can't ask for more. They are truly my inspiration to always go beyond and be the best that I can be in my coaching. Thank you very much, Fifth Ray runners! =o)
After the sharing I started my seminar on "Positive Thinking for Runners". We did quite a bit of sharing and had great fun. Through the sharing, I realized how blessed I was to have a group of very positive minded runners. They are very supportive and encouraging towards each other. Basically, they bring out the BEST in each other. I am very blessed to be given the opportunity to train and journey with each and every one of these wonderful runners. As a coach, you really can't ask for more. They are truly my inspiration to always go beyond and be the best that I can be in my coaching. Thank you very much, Fifth Ray runners! =o)
19 July, 2010
Running Therapy
I received an email from one of my runners this morning about how running has helped her handle an emotional 'crisis'. Running certainly has this unspoken ability to provide many of us with much clarity and objectivity amidst emotional turmoil within self. I have experienced it myself too. It doesn't matter what challenges you face, with every given step you take, you feel more empowered. And you become BIGGER than the situation you are faced with.
I would like to share with you what she sent to me:
"Last night I was placed in a very challenging and hurting situation, yet I had to behave normal and expressionless in front of some people, at the point in time, the feeling was really terrible, is like having a laser sharp knife slicing through every part of me..... I was lost for a moment then...
Suddenly, running came to my mind....and the thought of it gave me a sense of comfort and strength. So I decided to leave the place and fortunately, I had my running gear with me. So I went for a long long long run. Every step that strike the ground, I felt stronger and better. It helped me to regain my confident and brought my senses back.
When I finally stopped and it was way past midnight.... But the feeling was GREAT!!! And I was back to my normal self... I was so happy that I almost wanted to sms you my coach, to thank you for training me to do long endurance runs and stay positive!!. :)"
I would like to share with you what she sent to me:
"Last night I was placed in a very challenging and hurting situation, yet I had to behave normal and expressionless in front of some people, at the point in time, the feeling was really terrible, is like having a laser sharp knife slicing through every part of me..... I was lost for a moment then...
Suddenly, running came to my mind....and the thought of it gave me a sense of comfort and strength. So I decided to leave the place and fortunately, I had my running gear with me. So I went for a long long long run. Every step that strike the ground, I felt stronger and better. It helped me to regain my confident and brought my senses back.
When I finally stopped and it was way past midnight.... But the feeling was GREAT!!! And I was back to my normal self... I was so happy that I almost wanted to sms you my coach, to thank you for training me to do long endurance runs and stay positive!!. :)"
16 July, 2010
Testimonials II...
Another wonderful Testimonial to share with all... Thank you very much, Anne!
“In total, I have learned running from scratch 3 times. It has been a long and frustrating journey made better by Swee’s coaching, support and friendship. As running is generally a solitary activity, I am very thankful for all the friends I have made from the running group.
Three years ago when I first met Swee at the track, she asked me to run 30 minutes to assess my pace and running gait. That was 27 minutes more than I had run in my life. I gulped and ran for what seemed like an eternity and I nearly did not go back for the following training session (don’t worry, she doesn’t ask this of newbies anymore). Under Swee’s guidance, I was able to complete my first 10K race running all the way without stopping in a few months.
I had to start from the beginning the second time when I tore my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a soccer game. After knee surgery followed by an extended period of physiotherapy, the Orthopaedic surgeon advised me against running. When I was discharged from physiotherapy, Swee trained me by walking first on the track then walking faster then finally running. I was able to complete my first half marathon - without an ACL.
The third time I had to start over in running was after the second knee surgery for ACL reconstruction. This was followed by and another extended period of physiotherapy. The second Orthopaedic surgeon also advised me not to run. Once again, after physiotherapy, Swee trained me and I had to re-start by walking and running in water. Slowly I worked my way up to running. I was able to run a 10K race and a half marathon faster than before.
This year Swee introduced Fitness and Conditioning classes and I have benefitted greatly from Chong’s functional strength training. My core strength has improved and I run tall and land lightly at Swee’s training sessions.
Recently I completed my first full marathon in Gold Coast, Australia, less than 2 years after surgery. I had sworn it would be my first and last marathon while I was training because it can be physically, mentally and emotionally challenging. Two days after the full marathon, I had no more muscle ache - this speaks volumes of Swee’s customised training programme. Now that I have overcome the psychological barrier of 42.195 km, I am a more confident runner. I am looking forward to planning more overseas marathons with fellow runners from the group because it gives us something to look forward to and we all get to enjoy a holiday after the race.
My reasons for running have changed over the years. I started running to be a better soccer player and to lose weight. Recovering from injuries has taught me patience and perseverance. These days I run to enjoy the freedom of movement and for the camaraderie at Fifth Ray.”
~ Anne Sam, Converted Marathoner ~
“In total, I have learned running from scratch 3 times. It has been a long and frustrating journey made better by Swee’s coaching, support and friendship. As running is generally a solitary activity, I am very thankful for all the friends I have made from the running group.
Three years ago when I first met Swee at the track, she asked me to run 30 minutes to assess my pace and running gait. That was 27 minutes more than I had run in my life. I gulped and ran for what seemed like an eternity and I nearly did not go back for the following training session (don’t worry, she doesn’t ask this of newbies anymore). Under Swee’s guidance, I was able to complete my first 10K race running all the way without stopping in a few months.
I had to start from the beginning the second time when I tore my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a soccer game. After knee surgery followed by an extended period of physiotherapy, the Orthopaedic surgeon advised me against running. When I was discharged from physiotherapy, Swee trained me by walking first on the track then walking faster then finally running. I was able to complete my first half marathon - without an ACL.
The third time I had to start over in running was after the second knee surgery for ACL reconstruction. This was followed by and another extended period of physiotherapy. The second Orthopaedic surgeon also advised me not to run. Once again, after physiotherapy, Swee trained me and I had to re-start by walking and running in water. Slowly I worked my way up to running. I was able to run a 10K race and a half marathon faster than before.
This year Swee introduced Fitness and Conditioning classes and I have benefitted greatly from Chong’s functional strength training. My core strength has improved and I run tall and land lightly at Swee’s training sessions.
Recently I completed my first full marathon in Gold Coast, Australia, less than 2 years after surgery. I had sworn it would be my first and last marathon while I was training because it can be physically, mentally and emotionally challenging. Two days after the full marathon, I had no more muscle ache - this speaks volumes of Swee’s customised training programme. Now that I have overcome the psychological barrier of 42.195 km, I am a more confident runner. I am looking forward to planning more overseas marathons with fellow runners from the group because it gives us something to look forward to and we all get to enjoy a holiday after the race.
My reasons for running have changed over the years. I started running to be a better soccer player and to lose weight. Recovering from injuries has taught me patience and perseverance. These days I run to enjoy the freedom of movement and for the camaraderie at Fifth Ray.”
~ Anne Sam, Converted Marathoner ~
12 July, 2010
Testimonials...
With the work that we do at Fifth Ray, we are serving others every day. It is always heartening and wonderful to receive testimonials from individuals whom we have been given the opportunity to serve. Each and every testimonial is an affirmation and reflection of our work and passion to serve you as best we can. At Fifth Ray, we always strive to be and make a difference in the lives of all we meet. Testimonials are a reminder to us that we are being that difference. Thank you very much for your kind testimonials and sharing. Receiving testimonials always keeps us going =o)
Our latest Testimonial received:
"Tyler has been with Children On the Move for approximately 9 months ever since we discovered that he faced a developmental delay in physical milestones and gross motor skills such as walking, running and jumping. He attended a weekly session with Dr Tan Swee Kheng who has been very encouraging. Since then, Tyler has grown to be more confident and sociable. His attention span and speech clarity have also improved considerably. Before this, he could barely speak in full sentences or articulate well at all. Dr Tan has been very patient and professional in her dealings with children, such as Tyler, who have sensory processing disorder. She has taught Tyler to use words to communicate his needs and was very firm with him when he did not listen initially. We have seen a vast improvement in his ability to listen and follow instructions. We look forward to see further progress and we believe he will be able to do better with the continuous help under Dr Tan’s program.
Tyler has really enjoyed and benefitted greatly from the I AM Kids holiday program. He is definitely more vocal now and has more self-esteem as compared to before. Teachers in school have commented that his attention span has improved. He shows more confidence and displays greater interest in fine motor skills eg. painting, scribbling, fixing unit cubes when he previously did not enjoy such activities. I also noticed that he is able to sit down and complete his work now. I am very pleased with how the program has helped him and will definitely be looking out for more of such programs for Tyler!"
~ Clare, Mother of 3.5 year old Tyler ~
Our latest Testimonial received:
"Tyler has been with Children On the Move for approximately 9 months ever since we discovered that he faced a developmental delay in physical milestones and gross motor skills such as walking, running and jumping. He attended a weekly session with Dr Tan Swee Kheng who has been very encouraging. Since then, Tyler has grown to be more confident and sociable. His attention span and speech clarity have also improved considerably. Before this, he could barely speak in full sentences or articulate well at all. Dr Tan has been very patient and professional in her dealings with children, such as Tyler, who have sensory processing disorder. She has taught Tyler to use words to communicate his needs and was very firm with him when he did not listen initially. We have seen a vast improvement in his ability to listen and follow instructions. We look forward to see further progress and we believe he will be able to do better with the continuous help under Dr Tan’s program.
Tyler has really enjoyed and benefitted greatly from the I AM Kids holiday program. He is definitely more vocal now and has more self-esteem as compared to before. Teachers in school have commented that his attention span has improved. He shows more confidence and displays greater interest in fine motor skills eg. painting, scribbling, fixing unit cubes when he previously did not enjoy such activities. I also noticed that he is able to sit down and complete his work now. I am very pleased with how the program has helped him and will definitely be looking out for more of such programs for Tyler!"
~ Clare, Mother of 3.5 year old Tyler ~
08 July, 2010
Dedication
I must commend on the dedication of the Fifth Ray runners. Overtime, they have all become very committed and dedicated individuals to their goals and dreams. No matter rain or shine, thunderstorm or extreme heat, they are always ready for training no questions asked. I find myself very fortunate to be able to train such a dedicated group of individuals. Their spirit surpasses beyond the running track. Often times, our attitude on the track reflects our attitude towards life in general. What I can say from my observation is that these dedicated individuals do not allow any challenges or obstacles to waver their commitment to anything. It is certainly an honour and privilege to journey with them. Go Fifth Ray Runners!!
04 July, 2010
Congratulations!
Four of our Fifth Ray runners completed the Gold Coast Marathon today! All of them ran a fantastic race and achieved personal best run times too!! Congratulations to Anne, Caroline, Charlene and Jeff! A race well ran!! All your hard work and training have paid off. You have made the impossible POSSIBLE for Yourself! So proud of all of you! True Inspirations to all!
As a coach, I was actually anxious for all of them. Looking at how hard they have all trained the last 6 months, I just wish for nothing but the best for each of them. Wanting them to achieve and attain their goals and dreams. I was concern and was checking my phone the whole morning waiting to receive updates from them. Decided to check on them live online for updates to see that they were on pace. Felt like I was a nervous mother preparing her children for their crucial exams and awaiting the results. I was relieved and truly happy for each of them!
As a coach, I was actually anxious for all of them. Looking at how hard they have all trained the last 6 months, I just wish for nothing but the best for each of them. Wanting them to achieve and attain their goals and dreams. I was concern and was checking my phone the whole morning waiting to receive updates from them. Decided to check on them live online for updates to see that they were on pace. Felt like I was a nervous mother preparing her children for their crucial exams and awaiting the results. I was relieved and truly happy for each of them!
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