It was not the usual Thursday evening on 5 Dec 2019. I left work earlier so that I could watch the live telecast of the SEA Games 50m butterfly finals. Singapore swimmers Joseph Schooling and Teong Tzen Wei were in the finals and the hot favourite had to be Joseph Schooling. He was the gold medallist in the 2016 Olympics 100m butterfly event. This is Singapore’s first-ever Olympic medal in swimming.
But it was Teong Tzen Wei that caught my eyes. For a moment, I wanted Tzen Wei to win. Maybe because he was the dark horse, maybe because I felt everyone should be rewarded for their efforts or it was just a simple affinity.
The gun went off. Tzen Wei got a slight lead with Schooling so close behind. I jumped out of my seat shouting “Tzen Wei! Tzen Wei!” And before I could get back by composure, a new name was listed in the history book.
I was eager to meet the new champion. I contacted Tzen Wei for a meet up. During the meeting, Tzen Wei shared his life journey. It resonated well with how I had been through as an entrepreneur. The tonnes of training, the persistent, focus and strong discipline and a wining mentality are the attributes of becoming a champion.
After the meeting, I decided to build a high-end foldable bicycle to symbolize champion. I contacted one of the largest bicycle manufacturers, CAMP, and work began to build a champion bike for champions. Gold colour would be the key design parameter.
And after 2 months, the CAMP GOLD was born.