dogfight tropic: Subaru Challenge 2012 winners' families share all

The Subaru Challenge is back and in it's eleventh year! Yes the contestants are sweating it out in hopes of winning but they are not alone. The sheer support from their families is nothing short of inspirational. Read about sacrificial family love here...

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Photo Credit: Kelvin Koo

The?Subaru Challenge 2012 ? The Asian Face-Off this year, like all other years, is an avenue showcasing extraordinary human willpower. 400 participants took place at?Ngee Ann City?s Civic Plaza but there was only one winner? Gan Yu Shen. The ultimate prize worth all the sweat and tears? A?Subaru XV 1.6 worth $80,800 (no COE)!

This year 10 countries are involved:?Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and of course Singapore.

Little pleasures in life

It?s the simple things like drink breaks that you treasure during these ?testing? times. Contestants are given four breaks per day: 1am, 7am, 1pm and 7pm. They can use these short five-minute breaks to either eat, drink get a quick massage or use the toilet?perhaps all at once if possible. This is the ultimate test of human endurance.?The last two standing were Singaporeans, Gan Yu Shen (Tholmas), 42, software engineer and runner up ?G Jai Shanker, ?47, catering officer. This shows us that Singaporeans are still the most resilient and kiasu. They deserve the win.

Family love and support

Tilani Family

More inspirational than the almost super-human contestants was the sheer dedication and support shown by family members of the contestants. Though there was only one winner?most walked away winners knowing how loved they are by family. One such family was the exemplary Tilani family.

Contestant Haresh Tilani, 28, bowed out of the competition 74 hours in but he went home still a winner! His family was by his side from the get go with an uncle and aunt coming down from Kuala Lumpur, cousins rushing immediately over after exams and a brother who went to work at 6:30am just to support him for an hour before work, during lunch and after work. That?s not all, they even camped out and spent the night at the venue making sure that Haresh would not fall asleep. They also Googled standing positions for him and played games with him to keep him entertained.

Haresh?s mother Ratni shared: ?The whole competition was emotionally draining and seeing our son go through this the third time. He was the runner up last year. The challenge is not something we as parents look forward to. We are very proud of him but it hurts to see him in pain. To us he is already a winner.?

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Shanker Family

Another family, there till the very end, was the wife and cousin of Jai Shanker the runner up winner. Fuji, Jai?s wife of six years has been there every single day, bringing their 5-year-old daughter Nandii to support her daddy. Fuji shared: ?Every break time, I am here to feed him, massage him and take care of him. It?s been constant support from the very start even before my husband qualified. I helped make the calls to the radio station too.?

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Fuji Wahyuni (wife of Mr Shanker) Ganga (cousin)

At the end of the day we are rich not because of wealth but also because of the warm family support we have?knowing that every step of the way, through thick, thin and every possible challenge?they are right there with unwavering faith in us. A very comforting and motivating thought that can drive us to succeed.

Congratulations to all the contestants of the Subaru Challenge 2012!