Q & A with Lim Heem Wei

Lim Heem Wei, a business administration student at the National University of Singapore (NUS), has become the first Singaporean gymnast to qualify for the summer Olympics, and one of only two from South-east Asia who have booked their seats for London.

The other gymnast is Vietnam's Phan Thi Ha Thanh, who qualified by virtue of her bronze medal in the vault at last year's world championships in Tokyo.

Let's see what she has to say about balancing her hectic schedule and her advice for aspiring Singaporean athletes!

Q: What's your training schedule like for a day?

A. Typically I train approximately 4 to 5 hours a session, 6 times a week.

Q: How do you balance sports and personal life?

A. I don't think there is a balance in my case... haha. Sporting life definitely takes up much more time. As for my social life I guess that will have to wait till after the Olympics! But of course if I do get to squeeze in some time to catch up with friends, that is a bonus!

Q: What kind of sportswear do you normally don?

A. As gymnasts, we wear leotards for training and competition. At this junction, I do not have a sponsor hence no particular brand that I should don when I compete. So it's pretty much just the leotard brand I buy from that you see printed on the leotards i wear for competitions and trainings.

Q: Any advice for Singaporeans who want to look good when exercising?

A. Consistency in your exercise regime definitely helps because you become more comfortable and used to the workout and that ultimately translate into better confidence!

Q: What about Singaporeans who want to further develop their sporting potential?

A. Dare to dream. Take calculated risks and have a clear idea of where you want to head towards. Dedicate, commit and persevere. You never know what might come out of that journey. Whether or not everything works out in the end, there will be takeaways you can learn from the journey and most importantly, you know you have given yourself a chance to chase that dream.

Q: Who are your idols and why?

A. I like the Chinese and Russian gymnasts, for different reasons. The Russians because they have such beautiful gymnastics poise, form and style, the Chinese, also because of their fabulous style but mainly because I feel despite being world class standard, they display respect and humility.