By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, April 19: Hock Seng Lee Berhad’s (HSL) second consecutive year of sponsoring Kuching-born ultramarathoner Sally Yap has given her renewed vigour to compete in more challenging international prestigious championships, including one in Europe this year.
The 30-year-old sportswoman, who made history by placing second in the 2022 Asia Trail Master Championship at the Mount Apo Sky Race in the Philippines, was thankful to HSL for their continued sponsorship.
“Thank you very much, HSL. I’m grateful for this sponsorship, which allows me to compete in international championships,” Yap said during a press conference today at HSL Tower in Kota Samarahan.
The Chinese-Bidayuh athlete also stated that she will be flying to Sabah next month to undergo more extensive training in preparation for the 2023 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC), which will be held in Austria in June.
She also said she hopes to qualify for the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), considered the most competitive trail ultramarathon in the world, which is a ultramarathon mountain race in Europe.
Meanwhile, according to a press handout, Yap completed a 112km route with 5,698m of elevation in 23 hours and 39 minutes at a recent ultra trail marathon event in Thailand.
She has also competed in the Borneo Ultra Trail Marathon in Sabah, finishing second place with a time of 22 hours and 15 minutes for the 108km course.
Besides ultramarathoning, Yap won third at Penang’s Komtar Tower Climb earlier this year, scaling 68 floors in 11 minutes 53 seconds.
At the more recent 2023 Miri Marathon, Yap won third place with a time of 3 hours and 36 minutes for the full 42km. She was the fastest Malaysian in her category.
Yap will take part in upcoming HSL events as a sponsored athlete. She will be giving motivational talks and holding fitness clinics at La Promenade Mall over the next few months. All of these events will be free, allowing Yap to give back to society. — DayakDaily
