This article is about whether a leader is a victor or victim of circumstances.

Our first Olympic Gold Medalist, Joseph Schooling, announced his retirement on 2 April 2024.

I felt a tinge of sadness. Look at his records.

2014: Won 200m butterfly bronze, 50m butterfly silver, and 100m gold in a the Asian Games record of 51.76 secs.

2015: First Singaporean to win a world championship medal with his 100m butterfly bronze. Won 9 gold medals, all in record times at the SEA Games in Singapore.

2016: Wins Singapore’s first Gold in Rio in a Games record-time of 50.39 secs

2017: Wins 100 m butterfly bronze at the World Championship.

2018: Retains Asian Games 100m butterfly crown in new Asian record of 51.04 secs and 50m butterfly and two relay bronzes.

He was named Singapore Sportsman of the Year for 5 straight years (2015-2019).

After striking Gold at the Rio Olympics, thousands lined our Singapore streets to hail him as our National Hero, parading him on an open-top bus parade. He was given a standing ovation by all our lawmakers in the Singapore Parliament – the first in our history.

I had been following his development and wrote about him in my book, Unleashing the Greatness in You. (www.meta.com.sg and https://nexleaders.com/unleashing-greatness-in-you/)

Seeing him retire at 28 years young leaves me with a sense of wonderment, asking ‘what happened’?

After much reflection, I concluded, he was a victim and victor of stardom. According to Rohit Brijnath, Assistant Sports Editor with the Straits Times, “The champion’s life is hard to condense, for it is complex, painful journey made by imperfect, fascinating folk.”

Let me explain.

1. Victim of Ego and Hubris

“My mistake was complacency, to think that this will last forever

because I’m so far ahead.”

 Joseph Schooling

Obtaining the gold and beating world-class swimmers, like Michael Phelps, the greatest swimming gold medalist in the Olympics, changed his life completely.

Joseph became a victim of his own success.

In describing his own mistakes after obtaining the gold medal, he confessed, “My mistake was complacency to think that this will last forever because I’m so far ahead. Add on ego, add on pride. Add to that, “I’m never going to be shot-down attitude.’ That’s a recipe for complacency.”

His complacency was played out in being over-confident and entitled, feeling he didn’t have to work that hard since he had got to that level.

Even after seeking advice from his coach, Eddie, who told his dad, in not so many words, that his son’s only ambition was to win that one Olympic gold medal. Nobody could blame him if wanted to let off some steam and do whatever he wanted.

Indeed, ego and hubris can destroy you.

2. Victim of Fame without Accountability

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and

a push in the right direction.”

Joseph became the most-sought after-guy for advertisers of brands and products. Everyone wanted a piece of him. Fame and fortune took a huge toll on him especially when he did not have a mentor.

He acknowledged soulfully,  on getting the Olympic Gold, “To say overwhelming does not do it justice. It’s a totally different world. In times like that, you look for a mentor, or someone who has been in those shoes before, in order to guide you and you take it to the next level.  There is none like that In Singapore.”

In the past, he had his dad to be his mentor, guide, and disciplinarian. With his passing, he slipped.

One of these most headline-grabbing slips when he was caught taking cannabis. A bit more about this, later.

3. Victim of Running on Empty and Depression

“Champions can run on empty

when there’s nothing else than being a champion.”

In the interview with Rohit Brijnath on the topic of depression, Joseph shares some dark insights into his life as a champion athlete.

Joseph explains candidly, “There are  two sides to this. First, the chemical side, You are pumped on endorphin and dopamine, from working out and experiencing that high. Athletes all have that addictive personality. That’s how you get to that level. You are always chasing that high. But like life,  things don’t always work out that way.”

Second, it’s routine and fulfillment. You are used to always operating at a high level. Everything is go, go, go, go. That’s a norm. What happens when you take a fish out of water? Things change. When you don’t have an area where you can focus that kind of drive, attitude and fulfillment.  Things go quickly sideway.”

Passion can save you or kill you. Especially when you have nothing else to live for.

4. Victim of Volatility and Hot Temper

“He wore an easy grin but was combustible in training.

Second-best as a philosophy didn’t appeal to him.”

Rohit Brijnath

Having achieved such immense success at 21, Joseph confessed he was a very volatile person in the pool, “I refused to see things differently. I refused to adapt. If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.“

When one person didn’t share the same set of motivation or drive attitude, he would go ballistic in the pool, His attitude towards the person, who didn’t hold the same mindset, would be, “He doesn’t deserve to be there or he must get out.”

This would often result him engaging in verbal fights and taunting.

As someone once opines, ‘Narcissism is the making of a champion.”

At this juncture of his life, I applaud him as a victor because he has the courage to walk away and find new pathways to reprogram his perspectives, renew his energy, and restart his life.

A clear example of his maturing attitude was the way he viewed his cannabis-consuming incident. When asked how he viewed that cannabis incident.

He opined, “An athlete does that sketchy thing, all of a sudden, An athlete should not be doing this because my kids look up to that athlete.

The skeptical side of me would say, “I appreciate that. Did we tell your kids to look up to these athletes? ‘No, right’ But we can’t think this way. That’s not the right way to think. That’s defensive. I think it’s stupid.

This person actually looks up to athletes, looks up to me. I should hold myself to higher standards as well. Is that tiring? Is that tough? Sometimes.

‘Does that make me miserable. No. Just because I am tired.

Go back to sleep, Come back. You still have this this platform.  Tomorrow is another day. To make the best use of this platform and be that legacy you want to leave. It’s how you want to live.”

I believe we have not heard the last of Joseph Schooling.

Thank you, Joseph, for being so much a part of our lives.

In your triumphs and in your trials.

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