Photo courtesy of Keith Lim – Keith Lim posing with his sister, Karla, at a recent Sukma Games.

Keith Lim left the recent Malaysia Games (Sukma) in style when he clocked the fastest time for the 50m freestyle category.

Last month, the 21-year-old student from UCSI University, swam to victory in 23.19 seconds, making him the fastest swimmer in the category for the event.

Just hours before that, he clocked the fastest time of 23.44 seconds, squashing a 10-year record of 23.45 seconds held by Selangor swimmer Foo Jian Beng.

He broke records twice that day, but his fastest time was not from the September 21 event.

In June, he clocked 23.10 seconds when he finished 13^th in the same category at the Mare Nostrum series in Monaco, making him a national record holder for the short sprint race.

“That was my last Sukma as I won’t be eligible to participate in the next one due to my age, but I am satisfied to be able to break the record on the final day.

“I had actually wanted to break my Monaco record, but it is okay. I am satisfied and there will be other chances for me to do that,” Keith said, referring to future tournaments.

But, if fate would have it any other way, he wouldn't be an athlete. In fact, he might not even be swimming today.

Because he hated competition – the essence of any competitive sport.

“I think I was around 11 and 13 years-old when I sort of lost interest in swimming for quite a bit because I didn’t like the competition.

“I like swimming but the competition was something I didn’t quite enjoy at that time… maybe I got a little lazy,” he said.

Keith said the only reason he took up swimming at the age of eight was because he wanted to have some fun in the water after seeing his sister, Karla, attending swimming lessons.

If not for his parents, Keith said, he would have not become the swimmer he is today.

 “My parents pushed and supported me to go the extra mile and taught me not give up especially when the going got tougher.

“I was sitting for my PMR examination then. But my parents insisted that I train to qualify for the Asian School Games.

“I did train and I won some medals from that tournament,” Keith said as he vaguely reminisces the memorable tournament, which got him back on course.

From there, Keith’s path in the sport took a turn for the better.

He went on to participate in his first Malaysia Games (Sukma) in 2012 and bagged Silver in the medley relay group category.

Keith religiously trained for every Sukma game thereon at the National Sports Complex with other national athletes.

He even went on to represent the country at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games last year where he brought home a silver and bronze medal each from the medley relay category.

So what does it take for Keith to shine?

One of them, Keith stressed, was to eat as much as possible to keep the energy level going.

“I don’t follow any special diet regime and I don’t have a specific time for when I train. I train whenever I can.

“And as a swimmer, I must eat a lot because I burn hundreds of calories from each session,” he said.

Another motto, which Keith follows strictly, is “planning ahead and making time for matters that mattered most”.

“As a student, I cannot be training every single day and ignore my studies. I have to complete my degree and while I currently prioritise swimming over studies, I plan my schedule accordingly so I have time for both, my studies and swimming,” he said.

Keith, who is in his first year of the Finance and Investment degree programme, said he was grateful that UCSI University allowed him the flexibility to take up just three subjects per semester.

“I am going to continue swimming until I feel it is time to stop. Not everyone is privileged to excel in sports.

“You can always continue your study at any age because learning is a life-long process,” said Keith.

Having said that, Keith said, he was not making up excuses to postpone his studies at UCSI University.

“I cannot be swimming until the day I die. I need a certificate to have a decent job and to put food on my table.

“I trust that with a degree from UCSI University, I will be able to land myself a good job someday,” he said.

“Until then, I will just keep swimming, swimming and swimming,” he said.