With a 16.09 metre leap at the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games last December, Gabriel Lee broke the 16-year-old triple jump Singapore national record on his way to a bronze medal in his SEA Games debut.
“Bringing home a medal and breaking the national record were things I’ve dreamed of for years and now, it’s a reality,” Lee said.
But what makes the achievement so impressive is not just the distance — but the context. Unlike some of his regional counterparts whose job is to simply train and compete, Lee balances his athletics career with university life.
“I know athletes at my level like in Thailand for example, their full-time job is just being a jumper so they can train twice a day,” Lee mentioned. “But I can’t, because I’m a student.”
The 23-year-old is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in computer engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where he also represents the school in long jump and 4×100 metres relay in inter-university competitions organised by the Singapore University Sports Council (SUSC).
A superb example of a successful dual career
As a student-athlete, a typical week for Lee requires him to manage his time between lectures, assignments, gym sessions and track training. Managing his time properly becomes even more critical during competition season, when his training frequency increases, so what little free time he has is spent in the library, completing his schoolwork.
Despite the obstacles faced as a student-athlete, Lee remains committed to excelling both on the track and in the classroom. “I just tell myself to not be distracted and focus on one task at a time,” Lee shared.
In fact, Lee is soaking in life as a student-athlete, and believes that being a student has shaped him positively as an athlete. “You cannot expect good grades if you do not put in the effort to study. This translates on the track as well, where results only come from effort in training”, Lee explained.
“My family, my teammates, my coach and my friends are all my support pillars“
Over the years, Lee has inevitably had to miss countless family events and social gatherings due to trainings, competitions or simply the need to rest to prevent fatigue. However, according to Lee, these are sacrifices he is willing to make in his pursuit of success. “My family, my teammates, my coach and my friends are all my support pillars. I want to make them proud,” he said with an image of fulfilment plastered on his face.
Lee’s family and closest friends had eagerly made the 1,826 km-long trip to witness his SEA Games debut at the Supachalasai National Stadium in Bangkok. With such fervent support from his loved ones, it is no surprise that Lee was able to repay their support in kind with a bronze medal performance that they could all be proud of.
On top of the support of his loved ones, Lee cited that such achievements also spur him to continue in his journey towards sporting success.
“There were definitely moments where I doubted whether to continue, but I just told myself to stick to the plan and continue grinding and that everything would be worth it in the end,” Lee stated. “After being able to achieve this feat, I kind of proved to myself that it is possible to succeed and so I plan to continue doing what I have been doing and continue to excel in the sport,” he added.
Other than the SEA Games, Lee has also participated in other elite competitions such as the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games (where he missed the qualification for the final by only a few centimetres) and the 12th Asian Indoor Athletics Championships.
Despite such high-level participation and a national record to his name, Lee still believes he has plenty of room for improvement. “I know I have so much left in the tank, and I’m nowhere close to my full potential. I’m just getting started,” Lee said.
This statement may come across as arrogance to some but for those who know him, the statement is one of ambition, reflecting his tenacious drive to keep getting better. He is proof that elite performance does not only come from full-time professionals. With Lee’s level of discipline and self-belief, university athletes can stand on regional and international podiums too.
And if his words are any indication, his record-breaking leap is only the beginning. “I’m not stopping here. There’s still so much I can improve. Definitely more to come.”
Written by Muhammad Ariiq, AUSF Student Media Contributor
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