Kevin Wong - Fine Tuning Bikes and, Life

Credits to Kevin Wong, training at Javelin

What do you do when life throws you a challenge?

For Kevin Wong, he'll throw back a strong fighting attitude and own that piece of feat.

One of Singapore Disability Sports Council's prominent athlete, Kevin is a professional motorcycle mechanic by day at Race Werks Motorsports, and trains hard in Archery by night for Team Singapore that takes part in the annual Asean Para Games.

Kevin setting up for his Archery training

Life is never always smooth sailing as we all encounter different mountain of challenges at different stages in our lives, and every scar tells a story. Often, scars that cannot be seen are the most painful, but the courageous one will take a step forward to overcome that tribulation.

Kevin working on Race Werks KTM RC390

It was a quiet weekday where I was privileged to spend some time with Kevin, learning about his very own story. 

Tall, well built and masculine, I felt a little intimidated when I first caught a glimpse of Kevin when I walked into Race Werks.

"Hiiii, Kevin?"

He looked up at me with a warm smile and instantly, I didn't feel that intimidated anymore.

"Hi Vaune" he said, as he took his eyes off the KTM RC390 engine he was working on for a while, and we begin to.. talk about bikes. Haha that's what bikers talk about first, isn't it?

Barely only a few minutes into our conversation, I could already sense his noticeable passion for bikes.  I grabbed a stool and sat next to him as he continued to work on the engine. Though seemingly a little reserved at the start, he gradually opened up. 

Some years ago, on a random night, Kevin and his biker friends decided to spontaneously ride up to Malaysia for some late night supper. With their super bikes ready and passports in their pockets, off they went.

Kevin's Kawasaki 636

Cruising along the North South Highway, with nothing but the winds and sound of their roaring engines, Kevin was enjoying every moment on his Kawasaki Ninja 636.

Until the unexpected happened.

Credits to amgico

Another biker had his throttle on full, coming up from the back at a speed faster than you'd ever imagine. It was dark at night and by the time he noticed Kevin, it was too late. He smashed right into Kevin's rear, sending him flying forward.

Credits to tribuneindia

Blood was everywhere.
The enormous impact caused Kevin's right leg to detach on the spot, as they found it almost 100 metres away from where he laid, unconscious.

Credits to daildosemd

Kevin was immediately rushed back to Singapore,  where doctors urgently stopped the excessive bleeding and started the amputation on his leg at National University Hospital.

Life onwards?

Needless to say, it was tougher than any ordinary human would know.
Furthermore, for Kevin who loved sports so much, to lose a leg was.. like not living at all.

Depression can drive a person to his deathbed. It's a dangerous psychological condition, a medical illness that affects a person's thoughts, feelings and behavior that could lead to insomnia, irregular eating habits resulting in health issues, causing the sufferer to be even more depressed.

Sadly, Depression often leads to suicide.

It was a deadly cycle that Kevin was fighting to get out of for years.

It's easy to say life goes on, it's another to live it.

Handsome lehh

"Family", he said.

With the unconditional love and support from Kevin's family, he pulled himself out of Depression and decided to do so much more in life than he ever did before his accident.

Today, Kevin specializes in dyno tuning and customizing Öhlins suspensions for super bikes at Race Werks Motorsports. His passion for bikes grew intensely as he has gone onto testing exotics bikes like Vyrus, Bimota Testi 3D, Norton and many more.

I'm totally not jealous at all?

Kevin jokes a lot, greeting people with a big smile. It was hard to imagine this man who always has this sparkle in his eye, was once so caught up in depression.

Credits to Kevin Wong

Not only does he excel in his day job, Team Singapore is proud to have him as an outstanding national athlete in Archery.

Credits to Kevin Wong, his glorious wins!

Training at least twice a week or more with the Asean Para Games coming up, Kevin is a disciplined athlete but will always make time for family and friends.

And I'm thankful he has made time for me! Even allowing me to follow him to where he and his team mates train at Queensway stadium.

Kevin and his archery team

You could see how focused they are when they're training but the minute they're off their bow and arrows, they laugh, joke around and I could just feel this sense of energy in them that drives them.
That alone, is inspiring.

I quietly watched Kevin train..

And tried to mimick but erm, quite fail. I didn't even have the strength to pull the string all the way. Hahaha #Itried.

Once a biker, always a biker.

It is always inspiring to see how Passion, Courage, Perseverance and Determination ignite Life in a person all over again and again.

Kevin is one of the athletes of the Singapore Disability Sports Council whom which I will be raising funds and awareness for with my upcoming long ride #BeyondEverest. You may donate directly to them here.

Set that target, soar towards it and fearlessly achieve it because no one or anything can take that drive away from you. Don't hold yourself back from whatever that makes you feel alive.