Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

Husband-wife Arthur Tong and Elaine Young's successful coach-athlete relationship has resulted in stellar personal and professional achievements

- Cheryl Tay

It might be a bit hard to believe that in the past, you were more likely to find two-time Ironman World Championship qualifier Elaine Young in the library than out for a run.

“Sports wasn’t encouraged or endorsed by my parents as something I should be spending my time on. Academics was prioritised instead, which was fine with me since I loved to read and study,” said the 32-year-old international tax advisor who was born and bred in Canada.

Her fitness journey started in university, when she picked up running as a way to stay healthy. “I did some running on my own just to keep fit. I enjoyed this because unlike team sports, I didn’t feel like anyone was counting on me or watching me. It was also easy to do without knowing much about anything – you just need a pair of shoes!” she said.

After graduating from University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of commerce specialising in accounting, Elaine started work as an international tax advisor with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) in Canada. During this time, she was running about two times a week leisurely.

It was only when she decided to relocate to Singapore to be with her husband Arthur Tong that her triathlon quest began. They maintained a long-distance relationship between Canada and Singapore for six years before Elaine moved to Singapore, with an internal transfer in PWC.

Arthur had just started doing triathlons and signed Elaine up for fun so they could do it together. “Triathlon wasn’t something I knew very much about but I knew it was something he was getting into in Singapore. At the time I was only a recreational runner living in Canada and wasn’t what I would call fit. I participated in running races here and there if it was convenient or if others were doing it, but by no means was I a cyclist or a swimmer,” Elaine shared.