BY VIVYNNA ANN CHABU
KUCHING: Chester Lim Hian Thoong is no stranger to the Sarawak sports community especially in DanceSport and Dragon and Lion Dance associations.
The 66-year-old has been involved in various sports associations for almost 50 years now.
Altogether Lim has been actively involved in nine different sports associations throughout this time.
Currently, he is dedicated to the Chinese Martial Arts Association, Sarawak DanceSport Association, Sarawak Dragon-Lion Dance and Wushu Association and Malaysia DanceSport Federation.
But when Lim was still a young man, he worked as a stringer for the People`s Mirror, the Borneo Post and the Sarawak Tribune, precisely for their sports department.
From 1992 to 1998, he was also Public Relations Officer with the Sarawak State Sports Council.
Childhood and family
Lim is the eldest among five siblings but none of them nor his parents are involved in sport. However his two sons are active in DanceSport.
Both of his sons, Russell Lim and Randell Lim, followed in their father’s footsteps and are seasoned competitors in DanceSport, having competed on the international stage for Malaysia and nationally ranked top two some ten years ago.
Lim, a family-oriented man, is the proud owner of ‘Pretty Petal’, a family business that was established in 1990 in Hilton Kuching.
He points out that his involvement in associations is driven by passion, but that the shop is the key source of income for him and his family.
Education Background
Lim began his educational journey at St Joseph’s Primary and St Joseph’s Secondary School here.
When he was attached to Sarawak State Sports Council, he obtained a Diploma in Sport Solidarity and Leadership in 1993 from the Olympic Council of Malaysia and coordinated several sessions of the course in Sarawak for sports officials.
Later he continued his studies and read for a Masters in Business Administration from Charles Sturt University, Australia in 2000.
Sports associations and DanceSport
Lim found that after initiating one association, drafting constitutions, and submitting documents for the second and third associations to the Registrar of Societies and Sports Commissioner of Malaysia was easier.
His professional involvement began in 1988 with the Amateur Bowling (Tenpin) Association Sarawak (ABAS), though he began his involvement with associations via the Chinese Martial Art Association when he was 16.
Lim is enthusiastic about DanceSport and believes that it should be accepted like any other sport activity.
He acknowledges that some may perceive DanceSport, Latin dance or Ballroom dance as feminine but personally views it as an art form where gender is irrelevant.
Lim believes that dance sport necessitates an equivalent degree of self-control, exertion, and peril as any other competitive sport.
Challenge in life
Lim’s life took a dramatic turn when he was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in 2018.
During that crucial period, Lim contemplated resigning from all his responsibilities within the associations.
However, his fellow association members wanted him to just carry on while they persevered and continued to fulfill their duties and keep him informed of the ongoing developments.
At that time he was stuck in a relentless cycle of medication, sleep, and pain for over a year.
His morale was crushed and his emotion deeply affected and saddened as he saw his fellow cancer fighters succumbing to their illness.
Lim confided he never thought he would make it through because every day felt like his last day alive, during chemotherapy treatment.
But with his determination to eat well, exercise regularly, and maintain an optimistic outlook on his health he has managed to carry on with life.
“Now that I’ve confronted death more than once, I’m not afraid of anything. This old man is unshakeable,” he enthused in jest.
Motto and advice
Lim’s motto is “Together, let us unite to elevate sports in honour of Sarawak, and may our pursuit of noble goals be blessed with success.” It reflects a strong sense of unity and a shared commitment to elevating sports in Sarawak.
This motto is the driving force behind Lim’s dedication to Sarawakian and Malaysian athletes in their journey to obtain achievements which bring pride to the nation.
As said in the motto, it is important for the community to work together towards noble goals and Lim believes the culture of sport and education needs to be on the same page.
Although Lim claims he is not qualified to offer counsel, he and his wife live by the slogan “in pursuit of noble goals, is what we live by.” His statement is a reflection of their values.
In response to the question of what advice he would give, he smiles and says that ‘the ability to withstand and overcome challenges in life with utmost patience and wisdom’ is the piece of advice he would offer.
Proudest moment
Lim finds it difficult to choose his proudest moment, as each achievement from the various sport associations he was involved in holds a unique level of significance.
To him, every accomplishment is equally deserving of pride and expressed his satisfaction with his performance in all the associations he was involved with.
He considers his proudest moment as president not only witnessing the success of an athlete from his association but also the contribution, support and cooperation from association officials, volunteers who have been with him through thick and thin over the years.
