Photo: Joseph Schooling / Facebook
You may heave a euphoric sigh of relief because Joseph Schooling isn’t going to pop the big question anytime soon. But the 23-year-old swimmer seems to be off the market, sorry ladies.
In fact, Schooling is focused more than ever on his growing swim career, after announcing back in March that he’s turned professional.
The Olympic champion has since received a slew of major brand partnerships. In addition to scoring deals with Hugo Boss and DBS, he was in town recently to launch Swim Schooling, his new swim school, in Tampines on Wednesday (Jun 27) before attending a TAG Heuer event on Thursday (Jun 28), where he was announced as the brand ambassador of the Swiss luxury brand.
During the event, Schooling held a short Q&A session, which was open to the floor and prompted some interesting questions from a few kids from his alma mater, Anglo-Chinese School. Afterwards, he joined them for a fun session of snookball held outside the TAG Heuer Boutique.
Here’s what Schooling had to share about TAG Heuer, his toughest swimming moments and his off-season routine when he returns to Singapore.
On his favourite watches from TAG Heuer
I grew up with TAG and my family and I are huge fans of TAG. My first watch was a TAG, my mum used to collect TAG’s (watches) for me and she collected the Formula 1 edition, the diving watches and a bunch more. We’ve always been able to associate with TAG and it’s a great brand, very sporty face and fits our lifestyle.
What is the biggest #DontCrackUnderPressure moment in your career?
Besides the Olympics, I would say 2011 SEA Games 200m butterfly, that was my first big time international race and I was super nervous. The 200s could go either way really, they’re the most painful races out there and so I just went for it and got a very good time. It was one of my first #DontCrackUnderPressure moments. That kind of set the ball rolling for the next few years.
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At the end of a competitive lap, when you touch the pad, do you look at the clock first or do you look at the competitors first?
That’s a good question, I actually look at my competitors, especially if it’s a close race, you kinda know where they are at the last 15 or 10 metres. And so when you first touch, your reaction would be ‘Oh did I out-touch them’ and THEN you look at the clock.
What’s the first thing you always do when you come back to Singapore?
The first thing I do is probably have chai tao kway. Mum and dad always have a packet on standby.
Black or white (chai tow kway)?
White, for sure. When I’m off-season, I have a routine. In the morning, my breakfast would be chai tao kway. Lunch would be Samy’s Curry, Banana Leaf, it’s amazing. And dinner, we go to Roland Seafood and I like black pepper crab instead of chilli crab. So that is my routine usually, when I don’t have to pick meat in front.
Any plans to get married soon?
Not for another couple of years please. Not soon, no, I’ve always wanted to get married, I guess, in my early 30s. So, not anytime soon, not really thinking about that but that’s the first time I’ve been asked that question!
How do you feel when there are so many people taking pictures of you?
Well, I am a little shy sometimes but the more you do it, the more you get used to it. I picture this, I just picture everyone is my friend, everyone is here to support me, we’re all here to have a good time, so just positive thoughts and you know, just go with flow, have fun and interact. I used to be a little shy and nervous when I was younger.
Let’s talk about the watch on your wrist at the moment. Can you tell us more about it?
It’s the Aquaracer GMT and on set, I shopped with this and we called it Pepsi since it kinda has blue and red on the face, it’s all good but still kind of casual at the same time. And that’s why I love it so much.
I don’t swim with any watches on but I put it on the moment I get out of the pool. I wear watches everyday, it tells me the time and I just like how watches look and feel.
What other profession would you have taken up?
I’d want to be a professional golfer, I started golf and swimming at around the same time and there was a point where I had to pick one or the other. I chose swimming because I thought I could always come back to golf and so I thought, if I wasn’t swimming, I’d be a professional golfer.
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