MS Features: Team Singapore modern pentathlon athlete will keep pushing
At 40, most athletes might choose to hang up their competitive gear and settle into coaching or mentoring roles.
This is certainly not the case for Team Singapore modern pentathlon athlete, Marcus Ong.
He refuses to let age define his competitive journey, and is determined to prove himself through passion and discipline.
As one of the oldest athletes representing Singapore at the upcoming SEA Games in Thailand, Marcus doesn’t see his age as a setback.
“I feel honoured and privileged that I’m healthy and fit. I can probably just go one or two more times for SEA Games,” he told MS News with a smile.
Late start to the sport but rapid rise
Marcus’ introduction to the modern pentathlon was almost accidental.
In fact, he only discovered the sport in 2019 after seeing a social media post about the SEA Games trials.
The demanding event tests athletes on skills such as swimming, running, and shooting.
“I was hesitant at first. But since it didn’t clash with other running events, I thought I’ll just go for it,” he recalled.
“I didn’t expect to qualify as my shooting was quite bad at the time.”
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That spontaneous decision set off a journey that saw Marcus qualify for the 2019 SEA Games, where he won the men’s bronze medal in the “laser run”.
In this category of the modern pentathlon, athletes run five 600m laps on both hard and soft sand, and must hit a target with their pistol five times between each lap.
Now, as he prepares for the upcoming SEA Games in December, Marcus looks back with gratitude.
“Whether I win a medal or not, I’m thankful for my association, my coaches, my sponsors, my wife, my family, and everyone who helped me reach this point,” he said.
“The medal around your neck is heavier than you think. It represents all the people who supported you.”
Sacrifices and lessons learned
Behind the medals and milestones of every athlete lies a story of sacrifice.
Marcus admits the journey hasn’t been easy, especially when it comes to balancing personal commitments with the demands of elite training.
“Training at a high level takes a lot of commitment, time, and sacrifice,” he said.
“You have to say no to social gatherings, and sometimes, to people you love.”
He recounted one particularly tough decision: postponing a proposal to his then-girlfriend for the sake of training.
Today, that same woman is now his wife, and his biggest and most loyal supporter.
“She understands what I go through. She’s there at every race, every competition, always smiling and telling me: ‘Marcus, you’re fit, you can go on.’ That means everything to me,” said the 40-year-old athlete.
Strength, recovery, and training smart
Competing at 40 comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to recovery.
Marcus has since learned to adapt his training to suit his body’s changing needs.
“There’s a lot of emphasis on strength and conditioning now,” he explained.
“As you get older, your muscles and bones weaken, so you need that foundation.”
He also believes that recovery is as much about listening to his body as it is about following routines.
“Nowadays, if I feel a sharp pain, I stop immediately. There’s no point pushing through injury,” he said.
And while many athletes swear by ice baths, Marcus adopts a totally different approach.
“I’m more of a hot bath person,” he laughed.
“In Singapore’s warm climate, hot treatments work better for me in this environment.”
Marcus told MS News that his day typically revolves around “train, eat, sleep, repeat”, with some time set aside for meditation to keep his mind sharp.
No talk of retirement
Ask Marcus about retirement, and he waves it off immediately.
“Retirement is not in my books. It’ll only come when I’m six feet underground,” he said matter-of-factly.
Even with his sights on the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, Marcus is already being asked if he might push on to 2029, when Singapore will host the event.
“We’ll see how my body holds up,” he said.
“It would be special to compete on home soil again.”
As a veteran in the sport, Marcus sees himself as proof that age is just a number, especially in a demanding sport like modern pentathlon.
“Age doesn’t matter. What matters is how you tweak your training and adapt,” he said.
“You can’t do the same workouts as when you were 20. You have to be smarter.”
Looking beyond medals
As the Games draw near, Marcus’s focus is simple: to give his all.
“I don’t set medal expectations. That adds pressure,” he said.
“I just give my best for Singapore. The moment I cross that line, I’ll lay flat and I’ll know I’ve given everything.”
If he does end up on the podium, though, he already knows what he’ll do.
“I’ll call my wife up to the podium and give her the medal,” he beamed.
“Because it’s not just my victory, it’s ours.”
And in true underdog spirit, he leaves Singaporeans with a humble request as he prepares to compete in Thailand: “When you see me, just say hi,” he said.
“Your support, whether physical, verbal or emotional, means the world to me.”
At 40, Marcus Ong isn’t slowing down — he’s just getting started, proving that age, after all, is no barrier to chasing greatness.
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Featured image by MS News. Photography by Cassia Leong.
