KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — As overwhelming as it may feel to leave a stable job as an accountant for an uncertain career in the fitness industry, sports enthusiast Douglas Lau said he has never looked back.

Today, the 25-year-old is not only a running coach for young athletes, he is also the country’s race director for one the world’s most challenging obstacle course race (OCR) — Spartan Race.
Recently he sat down with Malay Mail Online for a chat about how he made it in the fitness industry.

In his own words:

I have been doing sports for as long as I can remember. I have tried many types of sports out there, whether competitively or leisurely, but I settled on running as it provides me with temporary solace, as cliched as it sounds. Running is one of the toughest sports out there, and people don’t know that… but somehow running works for me. I was invited to be a part of Spartan Race when it came into Malaysia last year and it has been an amazing journey since.

I really only got into running full time when I was studying in London. My house was three minutes’ walk from the famous Hyde Park and I ran there twice a day, every day. Summer or winter, you name it. One of my main inspirations for running is actually my dad who ran a half marathon whilst undergoing cancer treatment.

I studied to be an accountant and started my career as a banker with an investment bank. My mum and brother are also chartered accountants so it runs in the family. I was at work one day and just decided it wasn’t for me anymore. I wanted to pursue a career in sports and that was it. It certainly came as a shock to my family, especially my parents.

Well, to be honest, it has been a very tough journey… I found it difficult to establish myself in the sports industry, especially the first six months. But thankfully, with the support from the people I know in this industry, opportunities came my way, and I have had the opportunity to work on several big projects, like the Spartan Race. I won’t lie. Sometimes my ex-colleagues from the investment banking days would call me up and tell me about their promotions… and I do get a tinge of jealousy when that happens. But I am just glad to have the opportunity to pursue what I love. My mentor, Dave Tully often tells me that the best way to make a decision is to make it. I keep that advice very close to heart.

Spartan Race Malaysia is proving to be massively popular in Malaysia. Initially I had my doubts about the reception towards the race, simply because we are known to be the toughest obstacle course race in the world.

In terms of Viper Challenge (another OCR event) having a more comfortable footing in the country, I honestly don’t see them as a threat. I mean, if you look at Spartan Race and Viper Challenge, you can immediately see a difference. Whilst Viper Challenge is a challenge, Spartan Race is a timed competitive race, where you can compare your time with the millions of other Spartan Racers globally. We are also very much a format race, with our three formats of Sprint, Super & Beast, so if you do a Spartan Beast in Malaysia, it will be a similar Spartan Beast in California, or Slovakia, or South Korea or Australia.

My role is basically to cover the race logistics side of things as well as the backend registration whilst Dave covers venue scouting and also planning the race course.

My day typically starts at 6am when I coach athletes. Right after that, I attend meetings that I have planned for the day and will work from the office to ensure everything is in place. In the evenings, I usually do one-to-one technique sessions for serious athletes and that could range from one to three hours. My day ends typically at about 9pm as I go home and unwind and then start again the next day.

The athletes I train are between the age of 10-19 and most, if not all, are very serious athletes looking to building a strong foundation to achieve sporting greatness. Most recently, Max Luer and Russell Liew whom I have trained for years now, have made the grade to represent Malaysia in international triathlon competitions.

To anyone out there who is wondering if they should pursue their passion, however crazy it may be, I would say to do it and not look back. One of my favourite quotes is: “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” I think everyone should apply that quote in life.