A lawyer with an outstanding track record – Goh Chui Ling ’16

As a recipient of the inaugural NUS Sports Scholarship in 2010/2011 who read law at NUS, Ms Goh Chui Ling ’16 embodies hard work and determination. A bemedalled national track and field athlete who is on a record-breaking streak, as well as a doctoral researcher in sports law and governance, she tells us about her journey in sports and law, and what drives her to persevere and excel at both.

A passion for track and field

Ms Goh’s passion for track and field was ignited in her teenage years, when she took up high jump at MacPherson Secondary School. She transitioned to sprinting at Hwa Chong Junior College before moving onto distance running in her 20s. “I absolutely love being active and expending the energy I had when I was younger. However, as I grew older, I developed a more serene enjoyment of the sport, having to expend the stress I accumulated through my studies and work,” she said.

Ms Goh is grateful to be a recipient of the NUS Sports Scholarship, which allowed her to focus on her studies and training without worrying about finances. The provision of campus accommodation was a bonus, relieving her of the need to undertake long commutes home after late night training sessions.

As a seasoned athlete, Ms Goh has taken up various events under the track and field banner. “I think I took my time to find my passion within track and field, but the changes in events did help to keep me interested in sports. With my personality and interest to learn new things, I cannot image being in just one event for the past 15 years!” she said.

It was at the age of 29 that Ms Goh found her sweet spot in distance running. At the Southeast Asian Games (SEA) Games in Hanoi, Vietnam in May earlier this year, she garnered the bronze medal in two out of three events – the 1,500m and 10,000m. A veteran who has participated in five SEA Games, these were Ms Goh’s first SEA Games medals. More recently, she clocked 9 min 51.16 sec to break the 3,000m record at the Neustadter Laufermeeting in Germany on 5 August — her fourth national record this year — a record that had remained unbeaten for 40 years. Barely a fortnight later, on 20 August, she broke her own record for 2,400m at the Pocari Sweat Run with the new timing of 7 min 48.49 sec.

The switch to distance running coincided with the year Ms Goh was called to the Bar. Finding the transition from a legal trainee to a full-fledged (ergo, a lot more responsible) lawyer difficult, with the stress eventually leading to insomnia, she knew she needed an outlet. “I started going for long runs and would even run home after long days in the office. My present coach spotted my passion and helped me realise my potential as a distance runner,” she shared.

Ms Goh believes that the time she spent on other track events has helped her to become a more accomplished athlete. She noted, “My high jump career was my stepping stone into junior college and law school, while my sprinting career propelled me into the national team. The decade that I spent in those events set my fundamentals for a longer and hopefully more abundant career as a distance runner.”

Looking back, Ms Goh said that a key takeaway from her recent successes in sports is to be brave in the face of discomfort. “Sport and life are both uncomfortable, and often, if we want to see things we have never seen before, we have to pluck up the necessary courage to do things we have never done before,” she shared.

Law school days

With her track record, one might have expected Ms Goh to choose a university degree related to sports. Ms Goh shared that while she had options to study sports science and sports management, she was more interested in the physical and mental aspect of performing well in sports, rather than delving into the science behind the sport. “I’ve always enjoyed communication and creative writing, so I only considered a degree in communications or law. I eventually chose law because a law degree is very practical, and it equips me with broad skills and intellectual strength to pursue a wide range of careers.” She continues to be fascinated by the law and has enjoyed gaining clarity on human behaviour and society.

Reminiscing about her undergraduate days, Ms Goh shared that she joined the national senior team in her second year of law school. The challenge went beyond juggling training and the rigorous Law degree programme, one that’s “not catered for the faint-hearted”, quipped Ms Goh. She had to manage her study schedule for major games as well, such as the Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games. Ms Goh’s dedication to sport was evident from the fact that while she took a leave of absence for the duration of one semester, delaying her graduation call to the Bar, she had no regrets doing so. At NUS Law, Ms Goh thoroughly enjoyed the discussions she had with her professors and classmates on various areas of the law and society. “I believe it was only through NUS Law that I grew to enjoy the study of law,” she asserted.

Ms Goh practised civil and criminal litigation, a practice she had gravitated to because of her love for the adrenaline of mooting. She is grateful for the wisdom and support which her mentor, Mr Edmond Pereira ’76 bestowed on her in the early years of her career. “His experience in civil and criminal litigation, as well as his strong sense of ethics and professionalism, has guided my career decisions,” she shared.

Taking on sports law

Recently, Ms Goh has added another title to her long list of credentials. In 2020, she completed an LLM at Melbourne Law School where she is currently a doctoral researcher in sports law and governance. She sees this move as a way of blending her twin passions of law and sports. As an athlete and law student, she used to receive multiple queries on issues relating to sports law, and struggled to comprehend why the sports law industry was relatively underdeveloped compared to other areas of law, such as entertainment law or intellectual property law, just to name a few. “I realised that there was a bigger market for sports lawyers in countries where the consumption (and demand) of sports is higher, so I made the decision to further my studies in sports law beginning with the LL.M.,” she said.

In the course of her LL.M. degree, her interest in sports law was further piqued when she was given the opportunity to publish journal articles on sports law and get acquainted with mentors in the industry, which led to her decision to pursue a Ph.D. in sports law. “My research is primarily based on sports law and human rights, and I intend to focus my research on the rights of athletes,” she shared. She added that her research interest had been highly influenced by Prof Thio Li-Ann, whose module on Human Rights in Asia transformed Ms Goh’s outlook and interest in the area of human rights.

Currently, Ms Goh handles sports law work on a part-time basis. She does legal clerk work for arbitrators at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and also takes on counsel and policy work for international sports federations.

Powering through tough times

With so many pursuits, one wonders how Ms Goh is able to not only cope but excel. In response, Ms Goh said that growing up in Singapore was all the training that she needed to be able to manage all her commitments. “The education system in Singapore is rigorous, and from a young age, we are nurtured to cope with extra-curricular activities. But, of course, it is not easy,” she admitted. Along the way, she has had to make hard choices and sacrifices in order to cope with all that she has taken on. “More often than not, this takes a toll on my social life!” she lamented in jest. In spite of her hectic schedule, Ms Goh asserted, “There is nowhere I’d rather be than where I am right now. I always believe that if one is given capacity or talents, that one should use them, invest in them, and enjoy them!”

Ms Goh added that her training has imbued her with discipline, confidence and courage, qualities which have helped her to become a better lawyer. “I am more capable of coping with high-pressured, high-stakes, and high-performance environments due to being in such positions from a young age as an athlete.”

Through the tough times, she is thankful for the support she has received from her family, close friends, coaches, colleagues and training mates. One technique she uses to power through challenging circumstances is establishing small attainable goals as well as developing mental strategies to cope and flourish. When undergoing painful training sessions, for example, she practises the belief that pain does not last, and that training pains are good in her pursuit of excellence. She is not alone in this strategy; a fellow runner once advised her to “dance through the pain”.

Ms Goh pointed to her coaches as well as professors and mentors in the legal industry as major influencers in her life. In the area of athletics in recent years, she is particularly grateful to her current coach — Mr Volker Herrmann, saying, “Through the ebbs and flows of my sporting career the last few years, he was there to witness the failures and the triumphs, and inspire me through them all.” She is also indebted to her first sports law mentor, Prof Jack Anderson. “Prof Anderson was the reason I made the decision to go into further research. Jack has enabled and inspired me in more ways than he knows, and I often strive to be a teacher and researcher like him,” she said.

Looking back on her journey, Ms Goh wished that she had embarked on sports law earlier, saying, “As an NUS Law undergraduate, I only concentrated on the traditional areas of law to pursue as a specialisation, without realising that there were other areas which were also very exciting.”

Speaking with the benefit of experience, Ms Goh had some practical advice for law students who are thinking of pursuing their dreams. “Each of us has 24 hours a day, and it is our responsibility to find a way to use them to cultivate the talents we have. If you have dreams and passions, perhaps it is worth finding some time to pursue them. We are not only what society tells us. Our dreams and passions form an integral part of who we are; as such, we shouldn’t discount or disregard them.”

For students who may be considering less common specialisations, Ms Goh urged them to be brave and get in touch with people who may be able to help them on their journey. “Some of my best and most exciting endeavours at the beginning of my career came about after I reached out to people who were in the industry, who then recommended seminars, conferences, further education opportunities, and even other people in the industry. My networking and understanding of the industry have been relatively holistic because I have had very kind people and opportunities come my way. You would be surprised how kind people are!” she said.

Ms Goh shared that she did not take an elite educational route, pointing out that she graduated from a neighbourhood primary school and secondary school. “It was only at Hwa Chong Junior College where I started to enjoy studying and to work hard,” she said. Outside of running, Ms Goh enjoys painting and puzzles, but since they are extremely time-consuming, she has not been able to cultivate these passions.

Looking ahead

So what’s next for the high performance athlete and lawyer? On the track, Ms Goh believes that being a middle- to long-distance athlete has a longer lifespan compared to other events. As such, she plans to stay the course “for as long as my legs can take me”. Even if I move to less competitive running, I believe I will still enjoy the sport at every level. Academically, she admitted that while she is interested in an academic career and the practice of teaching and research, she also enjoys practising as a sports lawyer, where she has undertaken legal work within the arena of international sports.