TIME OUT :: Lifestyle

Charting her true course
> Match Racing champion Tiffany Koo, who has steered her way to the top in a sport dominated by men, talks about her passion and life


THE SHELL V-Power Women of Influence series salutes high-performing Malaysian women who have achieved remarkable success in their respective fields.
Two-time Match Racing champion Tiffany Koo is one such women. This sailor has proved herself undaunted by the competition from her stronger male counterparts in a sport dominated by men.

Through her skill, passion and perseverance, this SEA Games gold medal winner has demonstrated that a woman can rise above the rest to sail to the top of her game.

Tiffany, congratulations on your remarkable achievements. How do you manage to balance the challenges and demands of both your career and family?

For me, the secret is never to treat sailing as a job! I enjoy everything to do with sailing – from the boat repairs to the training, racing and race preparations, which require me to manage all the logistical matters of getting the boat and team together. Still I never consider sailing as a chore, and that always motivates me.


Because of work, I am often thousands of miles away from home (Kuala Lumpur). Thankfully, my family showers me with all the love, encouragement and support that I need.

I am also very fortunate to have a good role model – my brother Jeremy Koo (Malaysian Match Racing Champion 2010). We work and race together. He is my emotional support and mentor in both my sailing and personal life.

How and why did you get into this sport?

I was inspired by Jeremy and my older sister Emily who both represented the state in sailing back in the early 1990s. I joined their sailing trips when I was only six years old but it was all playground-type fun for me. I never had any formal training until the age of eight when my dad decided to put me on an optimist programme. That was when it all started and I hope it will never end!

Which challenge in your life you feel best define you as a person and why?

[Staying] highly motivated. I am always full of energy and enthusiastic about most things except bad hair days!

As a professional sailor, I always aim to participate in international competitions. However, these require a substantial amount of sponsorship to get the teams ready for the races.

[Getting] sponsorship ... is the biggest [challenge] for me and anyone in this sport professionally. Unlike football or tennis, sailing is perceived as a niche sport that only attracts a small audience group.

In order to overcome this, I need to maintain my high spirits, stay motivated and treat all setbacks as challenges and not obstacles that I cannot overcome.

As the captain of your own crew and a competitor in international events like the Monsoon Cup, how does this make you feel? What challenges did you have to face in getting to where you are today? Any regrets?

It makes me feel quite good actually. The fact that I have my own team in an international sailing event like the Monsoon Cup makes me feel very proud and spurs me to achieve better results in higher performance sailing events.

My achievements are also testimonials to all Asian women out there. It can happen – you only have to believe in yourself.

In fact, the biggest challenge faced is not being a woman in this sport but the lack of recognition for sailing as a mainstream sport. However ... I am hopeful that people will start taking sailing as a potential sport.

I have never regretted a moment of my sailing career. It has helped me in my personal development, improved my interpersonal skills and instilled in me teamwork – as you have to sail with a crew which consists of more than 12 people.

Sailing has also boosted my confidence tremendously and I have learnt so much through real-life experiences – things you would never learn in a classroom.

How do you manage your time with your busy schedule? And how do you make those important decisions that will affect not only yourself but also others working under you?

I am fortunate because sailing is my friend, hobby, work and my life; everything revolves around it.

And as long as I’m focused on achieving the ultimate goal – that is, to do my best in every race – then, decision making becomes easy.

For sailing, it is always crucial to remain focused and calm, and to anticipate [the unexpected] on land or at sea – you wouldn’t know what comes next and winning or losing could be due to one bad call.

What more would you like to achieve and find worth going after?

It has always been a dream of mine to participate in the Olympic Games. For the coming year, I hope to have acquired sufficient sponsorship to participate in the Women International Match Racing and the Open International Match Racing circuits.

I am also working on getting a team together and, more importantly, a highly-competitive boat such as the Transpac 52 (TP52) or a Russell Coutts 44 (RC44) to compete in the international racing circuit.

What are the qualities you feel women today need to have to be successful in life?

I believe most women can achieve whatever they want as long as they believe in themselves and their abilities. Self-confidence and motivation are also essential qualities to have.


This article is brought to you by Shell V-Power 97, designed for improved performance whatever you drive.