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Singapore Sportstar Spotlight: Water Warrior Sasha Christian, Wakeboarding
Sasha Christian is our undisputed water queen. The 28-year-old national wakeboarder is Singapore's first Asian wakeboarding champion, having won the title back in 2009. She has since represented the country in multiple SEA Games, clinching gold everywhere she goes.
But for Sasha, the accolades pale in comparison to the freedom she feels on the water. "When I'm out on the wakeboard, it feels free. I'm able to do what I want," she says.
Character Bio: Sasha's love for watersports started at a young age. At 5, she discovered wakeboarding and has never looked back since.
Wakeboarding combines the best of surfing, water skiing, snow boarding and skate boarding, but to Sasha, it's "an expression".
"It's an art because when you’re out on the water, you have the liberty to do what you want, like the tricks, and you're always trying new things and progressing," she says.
She took part in her first wakeboarding competition when she was only 11, placing 3rd at the Asian Championship held in China. She then went on to dominate the national scene in Singapore, becoming champion four years in a row.
Achievement Unlocked: 2009 was a banner year for Sasha as she returned to the Asian Championship and finally won the gold medal. Oh, and she was only 16 at the time! Talk about a young phenom.
She continued to solidify her status as the country's best wakeboarder when she won the gold medal in 2011, 2015 and 2017.
Her exploits led her to become the first Singaporean to obtain a Red Bull sponsorship in 2010, and join the brand's stable of sponsored international stars such as Formula One drivers Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel; X Games champions Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn and Travis Pastrana; and Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo.
Level Up: Unsurprisingly, for someone who is on the water so much, Sasha has been active in supporting Singapore's water cause. On 19 March, she was part of a waterskiing performance at Bedok Reservoir held in conjunction with events organised by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) to commemorate Singapore World Water Day (observed annually on 22 March).
Sasha is now training the next generation of female wakeboarders hoping to make waves like she has.
"One of my biggest goals is to help grow the wakeboard scene in Singapore and see the women keep pushing the standards of what we have here," she says. As a role model, athlete and champion, Sasha has already parted the waters.
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