I started running back in 2005 as a means of shedding the excess weight (and trust me, I had loads of it!) I had picked up from years of having a bad diet. Over time and as the kilos started dropping I found I actually liked running and the serenity it afforded in a life clogged with frantic activity.

Later that year I became confident enough to join the Army Half Marathon and the Singapore Marathon, and have not looked back since. Till date I have had the good fortune to have completed a number of half-marathons, marathon's and ultra races in the relatively short time I've been running, a number of these overseas with friends.

I once wondered to myself in a race who the people with balloons were, and why people followed them so closely. It didn't help the curiousity that these leaders were chatting with the followers, telling them do drink up and whatnot. All this whilst running a race! I later found out that these people were the pacers, a select bunch of people who led people towards their goal times. I also read, to my surprise, that they were more often than not capable of much faster times and did it on a voluntary basis, leading people to their goal times.

And that is what I endeavour to do. Having been on the receiving end of much from the running community, I see this as a chance to give back to the community, and repay the trust of those who invest with their target goal time.