Meet Tiong Jia En, First Runner-up Of Miss Universe Singapore 2018

Meet Tiong Jia En, first runner-up of Miss Universe Singapore 2018, newly-minted rhythm cycling instructor and the owner of a swimwear label. We learn how she took her stamina, endurance and boundless energy to the world of fitness, plus the secret to her porcelain-like complexion: raw silken tofu. (Yes, we witnessed her devouring it for lunch.)

- Peh Yi Wenn

An energizer bunny – that was my first impression of Jia En. I was in zombie mode, waiting for my 7.15am rhythm cycling class to start when the studio’s doors swung open and a svelte figure in a sports bra, leggings and a headset whizzed past with a high ponytail bouncing along behind her. After clicking and clacking back and forth in her spin shoes, she popped by the waiting area again a split second later, animatedly looking for a missing first-time student who needed extra time to learn the basics.

On the podium, Jia En is a natural, pedalling at super speed to snappy beats under the spotlight while still flashing a megawatt smile. On Instagram, she portrays a similar vivacious image to her 68.6K followers and has been a #fitspiration to many. Less than a week after her inauguration as an instructor at Absolute Cycle, the 23-year-old was crowned first runner-up at the finals of Miss Universe Singapore. “I feel like I’m living the dream right now,” she says. Next on her to-do list: becoming a barre instructor. Her ultimate goal though, is to walk the runway at Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. But her journey thus far hasn’t been always a smooth ride.

With a humble family background, Jia En had to be financially independent from a young age. This meant juggling up to four part-time jobs to pay for school fees while pursuing her degree in Communications and New Media at National University of Singapore. Besides tutoring in the day, she did waitressing jobs through the night till 5am. She was simultaneously building her own swimwear label, Sorakini, which launched in 2017.