GUNNING FOR GOLD

You would think a commando and a pilot have little in common, but for 2nd Warrant Officer (2WO) Poh Lip Meng and Major (MAJ) Lim Sing Hui, their shared passion for, and exceptional skill in, sport shooting put them in the same league.

While watching the 2002 Commonwealth Games shooting competition on TV, 2WO Poh had an epiphany. The avid sportsman, who grew up taking part in swimming competitions, biathlons and triathlons, thought to himself: "I should do something great."

It was at that moment, he recalled, that the seed of the Olympics dream was planted.

The commando in 2WO Poh took over. Focused and determined, the father of two wasted no time in putting his plan into action. He picked up sport shooting, trained hard, and six months later, was good enough to be part of the national team.

Sport shooting is relatively less physically-demanding and it was this aspect of the sport that attracted 2WO Poh. "Everybody is equal, regardless of physical size. There is no advantage if you're taller or stronger - all you have to do is build up your motor skills and psychological edge."

Road to victory

Of course, that is a lot harder than it sounds. The 42-year-old goes for at least 20 hours of training per week at the National Shooting Centre at Old Choa Chu Kang Road.

"There is no time to rest," he said, adding: "Professional shooters train up to 36 hours a week."

His hard work has paid off. Three years into the sport, 2WO Poh picked up his first individual medal at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, and has been on a roll since. At the recent 2010 Commonwealth Games, he received an individual bronze medal as well as a gold and a bronze team medal.

This year, for the third time, the national shooter was awarded the title of Singapore Armed Forces Sports Association (SAFSA) Best Sportsman of the Year.

The road to medal glory though, has been paved with many sacrifices, and time with his family tops the list. This was the reason 2WO Poh was especially pleased when his 10-year-old son wanted to find out what the sport was like and was enthusiastic enough to enrol in the Junior Shooting Academy for classes.

Olympic dream

One goal remains to be attained - winning the coveted Olympics medal in next year.

"There is a chance but there are no guarantees," 2WO Poh said.

His checklist for success? "You must have the persistence to pursue your goals, keep learning about the sport, compete with others at an international level and know your own strengths and weaknesses."

"Shooting's part of my life now," added 2WO Poh, who has his sights set on the 12th Asian Shooting Championship held in next January. If he does well enough there, he will secure a spot in the London Olympics which commences on 27 Jul 2012.

Like 2WO Poh, MAJ Lim is a Regular by day and a shooting extraordinaire by night. Her current aim is to do well at next year's Singapore Open Shooting Championships.

The C-130 pilot from 122 Squadron picked up a rifle for the first time in 2003 and took part in the Singapore Open Shooting Championships 2004 - her first competition - where she took home an individual bronze medal and an unforgettable experience.

"Ten shots prior to finishing the competition, I dropped my weapon. The weapon had been set to fit my posture, so I thought to myself, 'that's it'.

"But for those last 10 shots, I shot a perfect 100, which is almost impossible as I was still a junior in the sport."

The surprise perfect score made for a sweeter victory when she edged out her competitors to emerge the second runner-up, despite starting at the eighth position in the finals. Soon after, she was scouted for the national team.

The Dream Team

MAJ Lim attributes her success in the sport to strong interest and deep passion. She was in the national team for a year, but stopped as she was unable to commit to the tough training schedule.

Nonetheless, this has not stopped the 33-year-old from excelling in the sport. As team captain of the SAF's Women's Shooting Team, she has led them to victory as the SAFSA Best Sports Team (Women) for the sixth consecutive year.

"The most important thing is that everyone's goal is aligned. Whenever there is training, everyone says, 'we are going!'" said MAJ Lim.

Team member Military Expert 2 Shanthi Thanapal, praised MAJ Lim as someone who leads by example and sets targets so that the whole team can improve. "Whenever we are tired and want to stop (training), she encourages us to press on and then trains together with us."

"My teammates will say, 'we want to be better than you, so we'll try very hard' and whenever their scores are higher (than mine), they are very happy," said MAJ Lim, who takes this friendly competition in her stride.

What about the qualities of a successful shooter? On this, MAJ Lim said: "You must be calm and focused when taking the aim. If you are, you will be able to see when the target is right in the centre. That is when you take aim and trigger off."