Charting his own course: How a business degree helps this national sailor prepare for life after sport

Straits Times

2 days ago

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, national sailor Ryan Lo flew Singapore's flag in his second Olympic campaign. PHOTO: COURTESY OF RYAN LO
BRANDED CONTENT Charting his own course: How a business degree helps this national sailor prepare for life after sport A flexible curriculum, engaging modules and supportive lecturers at James Cook University help to make this athlete's return to school more smooth sailing
National sailor Ryan Lo is used to setting his sights on the finish line in the horizon. But last year, he chose to return to the starting line – this time, in a classroom.
After nearly a decade spent mostly overseas for training and competitions, he returned to Singapore last year at age 27 to pursue a Bachelor of Business (Majoring in International Business) at the Singapore campus of James Cook University (JCU).
The university's business school is one of just four in Singapore accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business – a recognition held by only six per cent of business schools worldwide.
Mr Lo sees the move as a transition to prepare for the corporate world once he retires from professional sailing.
Returning to his studies marked a significant shift for someone who has dedicated most of his life to sailing. Inspired by two elder siblings who were also national sailors, he picked up the sport at seven and began making waves as a teenager. Some of his recent achievements include winning gold at the Hangzhou Games in 2023 and representing Singapore at the Paris Olympics last year.
Track and field athlete Shanti Pereira and Mr Lo in Paris, flying the Singapore flag high at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF RYAN LO
But even with a shelf full of medals and years of experience under his belt, he knew his sporting career would not last forever. This realisation made him revisit a path he had put on hold: education.
Mr Lo's academic journey has been anything but conventional. After completing his first year of junior college, he left school to focus on training for the SEA Games. He later resumed his studies in Australia, followed by a stint at a university in the Netherlands – often taking gap years to keep up with his competition schedule.
'I have taken the most different route – a prolonged one – and I have sacrificed quite a bit in my educational journey,' he says.
When he returned to Singapore, he began looking for a university that could support both his academic and athletic pursuits – and found JCU.
'As athletes, we need to transition into working life after a certain age so having an education definitely helps,' he says.
For Mr Lo, studying while continuing to sail competitively is not just about planning for the future – it is about finding balance in the present. With the right support from JCU, it allows him to pursue both his academic goals and sporting commitments without having to choose one over the other.
Mr Lo's family welcomed him home at Changi Airport after his return from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF RYAN LO
From classroom to competitions
A dedicated study advisor was 'instrumental' in helping him plan his modules ahead of each term to ensure minimal clashes with training and competitions.
But if he has to miss any classes due to sports commitments, he can still access assignments and lecture slides through the university's online platform.
His lecturers, he says, have also been very helpful and supportive in helping him to get up to speed for any classes that he would have to miss.
Mr Lo says: 'A few athletes have studied at JCU and have excelled in their education and sports. JCU has the flexibility that I would require to balance between my education and my sporting commitments.'
He was also awarded the JCU Sports Scholarship. Dr Su Chun Wei, chief of High Performance Sport Institute, Sport Singapore, says: 'We appreciate Sport Excellence Education partners like JCU, who partner us to support student-athletes in pursuing both their academic and sporting ambitions.
'Balancing elite sport and education is never easy, and therefore the flexibility and support provided by institutions such as JCU through their sports scholarships make a palpable impact for our athletes to succeed.'
JCU's Trimester Program also gives students the option of joining the workforce more quickly. With this, students can complete their bachelor's degree in two years instead of three. Local students, however, can choose to pace themselves by taking on fewer subjects per term and completing their course over more than two years.
For Mr Lo, who previously studied business and economics in the Netherlands, his prior experience earned him a four-month exemption. He is now on track to graduate by May 2026.
A melting pot of cultures
Although he is nearly a decade older than most of his course mates, Mr Lo enjoys his classes and project work. He values the diverse perspectives of his international peers, who come from countries such as China, Vietnam and Germany.
The diversity extends to JCU's faculty as well. 'They are very passionate about what they do and deliver their lectures in an enthusiastic, entertaining way instead of just reading off lecture slides.'
One of the more memorable modules was one on business negotiation. 'It was engaging because I'm a conservative person and I don't express myself very much. This encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone.'
He also found some finance modules valuable in helping him make better investment decisions. For instance, he recalls having to read up on electric vehicle company Tesla's annual reports and financial statements to churn out a financial report for a class project. 'This finance project equipped me with the knowledge to determine the different methods of valuing companies and their effectiveness,' he adds.
Mr Lo still plans to sail professionally and understands that his journey is different from many of his peers who followed the conventional academic path and are already ahead in their careers.
'Everyone has his or her own journey, even more so for athletes. Learning is a continuous journey and age is not a pivotal factor. It means a lot to us athletes that there is a university here that appreciates us.'
Find out more about the Bachelor of Business (Majoring in International Business) programme available at the Singapore campus of James Cook University.
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