Hui Yun, 20, is the student leader of the Make It Real 6 team. She is very new to sports and adventure, armed only with her determination and commitment to excellence.

She was a section leader in the concert band, having joined from year 2000. It brought her to Thailand, Ireland, Paris and London on various Symphonic Band competitions, garnering champion and runner-up placings. One day she hopes to extend this exposure to the world, taking a round-the-world backpacking trip to experience different cultures

Hui Yun’s interest in adventure sports started after her stint as a free-lance camp facilitator introduced her to the friends and activities of the adventure circuit.  Even though she has no prior experience in trekking, Hui Yun is very determined and focused in her commitment to MIR. She has grown to enjoy the company and has dedicated herself to the training. Based on her philosophy of “You only live once, so live life”, Hui Yun works extra hard to ensure she's ready for the mountains.

Lek, 22, believes that the true spirit of adventure is to learn, respect and inspire, which he fully brings out in his role as the Student Co-Leader.

“The mountain gives us a chance to discover new things, and to expose our weaknesses so that we can try to overcome them. With the right attitude, we will end up being the one benefiting the most.”

Lek has climbed numerous Malaysian mountains and waterfalls from the states of Sabah, Perak, Cameron, Kelantan, Johore, Negri Sembilan, in this quest to enjoy the process of discovery. When not climbing, he also enjoys the camaraderie of Arsenal Football Club, and Japanese manga.

He treasures MIR for the opportunity to gather a group of like-minded individuals to make their dreams reality. “I know that ten years down the road, even if I still have the passion to climb, I will not have this same team to climb with. This is the only chance, and I’ll fight hard.”

Eleanor, 22, is the epitome of perseverance in the team. Although she had to re-take her GCE ‘A’ levels, she soldiered on.

She was a recipient of the National Youth Achievement (NYAA) Silver Award in her Junior College days, and the process has moulded her to be ever-learning and to never give up. She is driven to “squeeze the juice out of life”, as her Junior College Outdoors Activities Club teacher Mr. Isaac Lim put it.

Not only does she give life her best shot through learning from her mistakes, she is never too busy to share her findings with others so that they may benefit, becoming the quintessential better climber letting the rope down to help weaker climbers.

Yong Ming, 21, is in Singapore on an MOE scholarship from China.

Despite being part of the crème de la crème that Singapore is bringing in, Yong Ming is very humble, cherishing his opportunities in Singapore. “I am filled with gratitude, very conscious of the fact that even some of my more talented countrymen may not have the privilege of having these opportunities.” 

“The mountain is very humble; it can tolerate a small human being standing on it. It makes me respect the spirit of humility, and I follow the spirit. It makes me peaceful in the busy world. Everyone has his own way to spend his life. For me I really don’t want to waste my whole life pursuing enjoyment. I don’t want my life to be taken up by busyness with no eventual consequence.”  

Alongside MIR, he juggles the Sports Management, Concert and Business Committees in hall, and is also part of the NUS Entrepreneur Society. “I chose MIR because I wanted to challenge myself to lead a fulfilling life, for I believe: ‘A life’s length is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away’.”

Ze Bin, 22, is the Training Co-ordinator. He manages to make the gruelling training enjoyable for his team, leading by example with his own disciplined and positive approach to training.

His first outdoor experience was running in MacRitchie reservoir during secondary school, with that eventually leading to an individual 4^th at the National Schools Cross Country. With the rigorous training programme and close-knit MIR community, Ze Bin is undaunted by the challenges ahead, both at sea level and high in the mountains, despite having no experience in high-altitude climbing.

Cycling is another passion for Ze Bin. Having cycled 222km to Sedili, 177km around Singapore, and 170km to Kota Tinggi, his next dream is to have a companied ride through the majestic giants of the Himalayas, listening to the lessons they have to teach.

Yusrina, 20, has been enraptured by the great outdoors ever since her childhood in Pulau Ubin gave her the much-treasured experience of living in a village.

In particular, she has been passionate about rock climbing back from a camp in Primary 5, and has been actively pursuing the interest since, making her the strongest rock-climber in the team.

With her strong rock-climbing base, she is well-equipped for her next experience, the high mountains with MIR. Her philosophy is, “Life is to be experienced”. “I don’t want to just listen to the seniors’ experiences. I don’t want to just look at beautiful website galleries of the trips, the mountains, the people. I want to be there. Suck it all in. and experience and appreciate the wonders of nature before me, all around me when I’m there. Then, I shall remember every step of the way for the rest of my life.”

Yusrina is also very talented creatively, and has been put at the helm of the creative portfolios in the Programme, including t-shirt, photography, and other design assignments.

Hui Xin, 20, lives by Ghandi’s philosophy: “Be the change you want to see''. This manifests itself in her spirit of volunteerism, and her love for nature.

“I feel that a lot of people are less fortunate, and I like to share my happiness and blessings with them by volunteering. To me, life is also about sharing and giving. Like what Buddha said, “Fill the mind with compassion”.”

This ex-Outdoor Activities Club president also professes a love of nature: “A quote from Chief Seattle, ‘Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself’. The web of life in nature is currently being trampled by human in very unforgiving ways. However, I believe that everyone can do their small part and that will all add up to make a big difference.”

Through MIR, Hui Xin now has the opportunity for her to pass her experiences on to others while experiencing the new environs that the high mountains have to offer.

Monica, 20, welfare IC, has a bubbly people-oriented nature that helps to gel the team.

She believes that ‘the more you learn, the more you know there is to learn’. She enjoys spending time with people, serving at a coffee joint and as an assistant in a kindergarten before entering the university. She understands her team-mates well, and is always able to bring laughter, true to her philosophy of ‘Always look on the brighter side of life!’

Monica got hooked on the outdoors by the Outdoor Activities Club in Junior College, where the team-building component was much stronger than in her past experiences, and she treats MIR as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hone her independence with the new experiences and new lands, while having the support of a group of close-knit friends.

In her spare time, she is active in her church youth group, excited to participate in the growth of the group and its individuals.

Ms Amberly Chew - MIR7 Training IC

Amberly Chew, 29, constantly upgrading her skills and knowledge, such as choosing to return to further her knowledge in her field of interest, literature, after an eight-year hiatus as an executive at YMCA’s Lifestyle Programmes.

“To me, the mountain is like Life - it’s challenging, unpredictable, hard work, disappointing, and rewarding all at the same time. It’s about confronting our fears and believing that sometimes even the impossible can be made real. Then we’ll learn and grow and start taking steps toward our destination.”

This belief has led Amberly to systematically push the limits of her achievements: She returned to join MIR after taking a year to settle in at school; she also achieved advanced certification in diving and kayaking, and went trekking and white-water rafting in Nepal even prior to joining the team.

Amberly gains respect with her leadership by example, and her ability to keep all the cogs running smoothly in this project that goes beyond physical training. “It's been a privilege to lead this group. Becoming a leader has forced me way out of my comfort zone because I usually prefer to stay behind the scenes. Each member has their own unique talents and strengths, which complements each other and falls nicely into place in the team. This team can achieve anything once we set their hearts to it!”