London Calling: Pursuing His True Passion

Lim Yi Kai reflects on his bold move to re-do his tertiary education.

“Sports and fitness has always been a part of my life, and I was quite interested in nutrition when I was in secondary school. I did my GCE ‘A’ Levels in 2013 but found that it wasn’t right for me. I was not motivated and didn’t really have any clear goals.

After some serious thinking about the possible pathways for me, I decided to make the bold move of redoing my tertiary education. It was a second chance for me to do something that I was really interested in, and an opportunity to redeem myself and be accountable for my own future.

It was then that TP's food science and nutrition course caught my attention, especially the nutrition module, which covers both the clinical and sports aspects. After starting the course, it reaffirmed my passion for nutrition and sports. It became more than just an education that I had to go through – it became a stepping stone to achieve my goals.

I had my internship with the Singapore Sports Institute (SSI), and I was offered a temporary job with the organisation right after poly. I worked with the sports nutrition department for about 5 months after that. The SSI team are the best group of people that I have worked with - I was so inspired by them. They taught me a lot and exposed me to the high performance sports setting. I gained an incredible amount knowledge and practical skills which are vital in this profession. During that time, I also decided to apply for the MOHH Healthcare Merit Scholarship to pursue dietetics. Earlier this year (2017), I managed to get the scholarship, and on top of that I was also awarded the Capitaland All Round Excellence Award.

When I was offered the scholarship, I was encouraged to apply for a place in King's College London by both my lecturers and the scholarship officers, although I thought my chances were slim. I had a skype interview and was offered a place. Currently, I'm in London doing a degree in nutrition and dietetics. I’m extremely thankful for this opportunity and have no regrets about my decision.

For me, getting into TP was the start to my future.

Discover, explore and be interested … and your future will unfold for you!”