Change of Focus

Jolie, aged 17, is currently studying for the Cambridge 'A' levels. She has a passion for athletics. 

In 2012, after hearing numerous accounts of how my friends coped with family members diagnosed with cancer, I decided to do something about it. I went up to my room, turned on the computer and Googled ‘cancer organisations’. I found out that I could volunteer to be a charity athlete and raise funds for the Singapore Cancer Society. 

That was when it started – my desire to contribute to society started growing in my heart. I started promoting my website on different social networks and told my friends and teachers about it. I had friends who supported me throughout this entire journey. Their support has kept my desire to help others alive and made it possible for me to persevere. I placed all of my focus on this project, I trained hard for it to ensure that I completed the 15km cancer race in one and a half hours. For a person who has never run such a long distance, this was a tough challenge. 

I found out that running a charity race made me think of others, and is a good way to appreciate everything around me. When you take the focus off of yourself and place it upon others, it makes others’ lives better, and mine extraordinary. The difficulties that I have had in my own life made me knew what it was like to go through something hard, and I wanted to help.

Though it happened back in April 2010, I can still remember my father’s heart attack vividly. How my mother and I rushed our way to the hospital. At that moment, everything faded away into insignificance. A thousand thoughts flooded my head. I tried to comfort myself but my attempts were futile. The nurses and doctors hurrying outside the operating theatre seemed a blur; their brisk footsteps seemed to echo the aching heartbeat of my family as we waited in anticipation. I paced down the aisle, worried, anxious and filled with fear. My father’s heart attack made me realise that life is uncertain, and that we don’t know how much time we have on this earth. I want to treasure every single opportunity that I have in life and live it my own way. 

The images of pain and suffering that I saw in cancer patients have never left my mind, and are still vivid memories to this day. I am determined to try and do whatever I can to help people who are less fortunate than me because I believe that true happiness can only be achieved while helping others. 

I certainly do not know what change I have made, I do not know what would happen, but I am sure it would never be the same.

One doesn’t need fancy or extravagant ways to help others to make a difference. In fact, it is the small actions that will stay with them the most. 

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"The Action Collective" features six guests involved in humanitarian and environmental work. Next Wednesday, we'll have Stephanie Chan, a witty friend and a prolific spoken word artist.