Meet 'friendly giant' Maurice Wong, Contestant No. 9
Maurice is not the most outspoken character. Most of his friends would even describe him to be a “friendly giant”. The rugged look he carries does not represent his friendly personality, as many who have had the courage to approach him have gotten to know his fun and lovable side. He acknowledges this “flaw” and constantly tries to improve himself, not only mentally but physically, to become more approachable. This led to his decision to join the financial services industry back in 2017. He loves this job as he can educate people on things not taught to them in schools and value add to people’s lives.
From a tender age, Maurice was diagnosed with slight hyper activeness. Well, it may seem to be a problem to many, but this turned into a blessing for him as his parents encouraged him to play sports to divert his energy away. And it was because of this philosophy that Maurice got involved in the very sport he still plays and loves till this day, Rugby.
He recalls the moment he was “chosen” to give the sport a try. Rugby is not a popular sport in Singapore as compared to the more common sports like Football and Basketball. Therefore, 8-year-old Maurice had no idea what he was getting himself into. Rugby. He just wanted to run around. It all started in 2003 on a normal day in school when the rugby coach was walking around the classrooms recruiting players. Maurice, as a responsible student, was appointed as the class monitor and his teacher saw him as an ideal candidate to join the sport. His teacher knew that rugby requires a lot of discipline and was confident that Maurice had the right traits to become a rugby player. It was from that very day that Maurice began on his journey in rugby which has now spanned 18 years.
The sport has taught him plenty of values such as resilience, discipline, integrity and camaraderie. It has taught him to be a team player and always valuing others, respecting their thoughts and opinions.
As in life, there are bound to be ups and downs. One of the lowest points in Maurice’s life came during his first year of NS while training to become a full fledge Commando. He unfortunately injured his shoulder which set him back and did not allow him to complete the course with his batch mates. However, after picking himself up and dusting away the negativity, he went on to push through and managed to attain the coveted red beret just before his ORD.
Through this competition of Mr. World 2021, Maurice hopes to use this as a platform to inspire the younger generation to put aside their technologies and get active. Pursue your goals and dreams. No matter what people say, believe in yourself, you will succeed.
