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I was watching a television programme titled "the 5 show" last Friday and one of the special guests who appeared on that show was William Tan. In addition to being a neuroscientist and medical doctor, he also once set a Guinness World Record by becoming the first person in a wheelchair to complete a marathon across all seven continents. As I was watching this show, a lot of thoughts came running through my mind. I was amazed by his willpower and indefatigable spirit. He is truly an invigorating person. In the show, he mentioned that earlier this year, he had completed a marathon in the North Pole, a very arduous and challenging task due to the extreme weather. It made me wonder what Dr Tan had in himself to be able to achieve so much in his life.

Many a times, we would all face setbacks in our life. But how many of us actually give up at that point in time? And how many of us actually persevere and surmount these obstacles in the end? Despite his disability which has plagued him from the young age of 2, Dr Tan has maintained a positive attitude in life. Through Dr Tan’s sharing of his life story, it made me realise that many of us today give up way too easily without trying. We often lack determination in our life, only to regret our choices at the end of the day. There are too many “if only's” in our lives: “If only I had tried harder", "if only I didn't give up so easily, perhaps the outcome would be different instead." Dr Tan has raised over $10 million for charities via physical endeavors in his life thus far. After watching this show, he has made me realize how fortunate I am, and has thus spurred me to work harder towards my goals.