A MetaSprint Aquathlon participant has thanked the event’s organisers for postponing the swim-run race at Sentosa after a crocodile was spotted in the waters nearby.
In a TikTok video posted on 1 Feb by user @w1nnerae, the participant shared her candid reaction after waking up at 4am for the race, only to find out that it had been postponed due to a reported crocodile sighting.
Rather than feeling disappointed, the original poster’s (OP) response was one of relief.
“Y’all saw a whole crocodile and thought: ‘Oh my God, I wish I could swim?'” she asked in the video. “When I saw it got postponed because y’all saw a whole crocodile, I went back to sleep bro.”
She added that while she felt bad for the organisers who had put in significant effort to plan the aquathlon, there was “no way” she was willing to swim in the sea knowing a crocodile had been spotted nearby.
“There are so many things I fear in life, and crocodiles are the biggest one,” the OP continued, adding that she could always take part in another aquathlon in the future.
Source: Robbie Hoyes-Cock on Facebook
In her caption, the OP also thanked MetaSprint for “keeping us safe” and praised the organisers for how they handled the situation.
She acknowledged that some participants had flown in from overseas but felt postponing the event was the right decision, and encouraged visitors to make the most of their time in Singapore despite the disruption.
MetaSprint later confirmed on 1 Feb that the aquathlon had been postponed due to a crocodile sighting in the waters off Sentosa.
Source: MetaSprint Series on Facebook
Following the sighting, water activities at Sentosa beaches were suspended as a precaution, according an update on Facebook by Sentosa that same day.
Members of the public were advised to avoid entering the water and to keep a safe distance if they encountered the animal.
They were also reminded to contact the NParks Animal Response Centre at 1800-476-1600 to report any sightings or encounters.
The OP, Rae Woon, a 23-year-old student and content creator, told MS News that the first thing she saw when she woke up was a series of messages from her friends about the crocodile.
A self-confessed “crocodile hater”, she said she had been wondering how she would swim in the same waters before seeing on Instagram that the race had been postponed.
Source: @w1nnerae on TikTok
“I felt so relieved because I also don’t think I would have dared to enter the ocean if it had gone on,” Ms Woon said.
She also found it heartening to see many friends meeting up on Strava for a group ride instead after the race was postponed.
Some even went on to do a half marathon “since they were already awake and caffeinated”.
The MetaSprint Series organisers have since announced that the race will be carried out on 8 Feb, a week from the original date.
Source: MetaSprint Series on Facebook
She said she was impressed by how quickly the organisers managed to secure a new date so close to the original race day.
“This is definitely the first time I’ve had a race completely shifted to a new date,” she told MS News. “I’ve experienced delays before due to weather but this is the first postponement due to a crocodile.”
Also read: Crocodile spotted in waters off Sentosa Cove on 31 Jan, water activities halted amidst search
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Featured images adapted from @w1nnerae on TikTok and Robbie Hoyes-Cock on Facebook.