Before I was known the world over as Max the Kitefoiler, those closest to me knew me more as Max the quiet, introverted boy. I wasn’t always comfortable with expressing myself on a public platform. But figuring out how to do so has been one of the things I got better at as I learnt to read the waves and winds. Perhaps unsurprising, given that most of my education so far has come through competitive sport.

Sport trains you physically. It also moulds you mentally. It is without doubt the thing that has played the biggest role in shaping who I am. It’s taught me to be assured in what I am capable of. After all, that’s the point of training – to get to a point where something automatically becomes easier to do. As I prepare for my Olympic debut, I am on my toes, but I am also feeling positive about being fast and powerful in Marseilles where the regatta is held.

To me, the Paris Games are going to be about a lot more than sailing the biggest races of my career so far. It’s just as much about being a worthy representative, and paying tribute to the people around me who have, figuratively, been on my boat on this journey. Choosing between Swiss cheese fondue and Singapore chicken rice for the rest of my life was always a no-brainer. This is where I feel an affiliation to, and the flag I’ve chosen to fly.

Come race day, I hope to take the waters in a way that shows the world the driving force behind Max, Singapore’s Kitefoiler.