Max Tang makes waves in and out of the pool

At 16, Max Tang has little time to sit still. Between school, swimming, cross-country running and water polo, his week is a carefully choreographed exercise in time management.

Even his weekends are likely to involve training rather than putting his feet up. “There isn’t much free time – balancing everything can definitely be challenging,” Tang shared.

Yet the Kuala Lumpur teen seems to thrive on the demanding routine. For someone who once came up with excuses to skip swimming lessons, he has certainly come a long way.

“I didn’t love it at first,” he admitted, explaining that he was enrolled in swimming lessons at age five after watching his eldest brother, Matthew, train and qualify as a state swimmer.

It took a while for the sport to grow on him. “The turning point came when I started winning medals at novice meets and realised that I wanted to challenge myself further.”

That determination has since taken him beyond the pool. In July, Tang emerged victorious in both the 2km Sprint and 5km Half Oceanman events at Oceanman Kota Kinabalu, winning not only his junior categories but also the overall titles against swimmers of all ages.

Oceanman is an open-water swimming competition series that brings together swimmers of different ages and abilities, in races held around the world.

“I did not expect to come out on top in both events,” he said. “It was especially rewarding because all the early mornings, long training sessions and sacrifices suddenly felt worth it.”

The double victory has earned him a place at the Oceanman World Finals in the Dominican Republic from today until Sunday. Tang has also been selected to carry the Jalur Gemilang at the international championship.

“This makes the whole experience even more special,” he added. “I feel very proud to be representing Malaysia, and I also feel a sense of responsibility to do my best.”

For Tang, open-water swimming offers something the controlled environment of a pool cannot. Without lane ropes to follow, swimmers must contend with currents, waves and constantly changing conditions.

“I enjoy that challenge because it makes the race more exciting and requires you to think strategically,” he said.

To prepare, Tang combines pool sessions focusing on endurance, speed and technique with open-water skills such as sighting and pacing.

He trains up to six times a week, sometimes attending double sessions during school holidays.

His typical day involves school, extracurricular activities, swim training and homework, with little room for leisure. He also attends running club sessions twice a week and trains in water polo.

“There were days when I was physically exhausted after training but still had assignments and revision to complete,” he said, recalling the demands of preparing for Sukma earlier this year.

Rather than viewing academics and sport as competing priorities, Tang believes both have helped shape his discipline.

“I don’t believe I should have to choose between the two,” he said, adding that his two older brothers have shown him it is possible to excel academically while pursuing sporting interests.

While preparing for his first overseas open-water competition, he told FMT Lifestyle his immediate goal was to perform well and gain valuable international experience.

“When I first started swimming, I never imagined that I would one day qualify for a world championship or have the opportunity to carry the Malaysian flag.”

His advice to other young people is simple: “Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from trying something you really want to do. Most importantly, enjoy what you’re doing, and don’t give up just because things get difficult.

“Sometimes, the biggest achievements come after the toughest challenges.”

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