“At first, my reaction was one of incredulity, but since it was a personal invitation, I promised to think about it, and six months later, I agreed,” Ng says.

In July 2023, Ng was part of the first Singaporean relay team to swim across the body of water separating England from France. At 60, he was the oldest on the team, which also included Mark Tan, then 45; Lim Chee Kiong, then 54; and Alvin Tam, then 41.

“The entire swim lasted 11 hours and 25 minutes. We took turns swimming every hour until we reached our destination. In total, we each swam three legs,” Ng says.

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He did have serious concerns before saying yes. He worried about the water being too cold and having to deal with rough waves, dangerous currents and poor visibility in the open water. He also wondered about shark attacks and jellyfish stings.

Ng’s wife and mother had similar concerns, but eventually gave him their full support, as did his children.

After extensive research, Ng concluded that he would need to overcome his fears, prepare physically and mentally, and see where he could mitigate or reduce risks.

Although he was in relatively good health – he swam, cycled, and played tennis and football regularly – Ng underwent a battery of health screenings before the swim to ensure that his body could handle the challenge.

He and his team prepared by training three times a week in the pool and clocking 8km to 10km weekly.

To get used to being in open water, they added one swim session a week at Sentosa, an island just off Singapore’s south coast.

To get used to swimming in cold water, in February 2023 the team spent a weekend training at Repulse Bay in Hong Kong, where the water temperature range was similar to what they expected for their English Channel swim.

They practised swimming in the dark, before sunrise, at Sentosa and at their swimming club after the lights were turned off.

To build his endurance, Ng took part in the Kapas Marang International Swimathon in Malaysia, a 6.5km open-water race, in March 2023. He came second in his age group, which boosted his confidence.

“To make it across the Channel, I knew I had to put in the training hours and maintain a decent level of fitness,” he says.

Ng and his teammates flew to England days before their big swim to give themselves extra time to train. But on the day of the event, they had a few surprises.

“Flag-off was just before 1am. We were shocked at how dark the water was. We could barely see our hands in front of us and couldn’t tell where we were going.

“Although we had practised swimming in the dark, this experience in the Channel caught us off guard.”

The cold water temperature was also more punishing than they had expected, especially during each swimmer’s first leg. After 30 to 40 minutes of swimming in water of 16 degrees Celsius (61 degrees Fahrenheit), Ng had trouble feeling his hands and feet.

The cold felt more intense every time Ng completed his hour-long swims and returned to the boat, because the air temperature was several degrees lower than that of the water. He would shiver uncontrollably during his breaks, despite wearing multiple layers of clothing and drinking hot water.

Ng swam the team’s final stretch and says he will always remember how he felt when he reached the finish point.

“There was tremendous joy, pride and exhilaration. People had gathered atop a cliff above the water, and they clapped and cheered when we finished the swim. It was so beautiful to see.”

Before the crossing, Ng says that a few people had advised him that he was too old to swim across the Channel.

“As you advance in age, it seems like society expects you to take things easy and start preparing for a life of physical decline and ill health. People said to me, ‘You’re already 60, why are you doing this? Just slow down.’

“I also had friends tell me that seeing me pursue a new and challenging goal inspired them to do the same.”

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Ng, who considers himself “fairly adventurous”, says that he’s looking forward to exploring new projects and having new experiences, now and in his later years.

Whatever your age, you should not be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and take on new challenges, he says.

“Getting older is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean you have to abide by predefined, age-centric notions of what you can and can’t do.

“No matter how old you are, you can still have new experiences and learn new things … doing so can help you age healthily. Of course, it’s also important to assess your abilities and consider the risks beforehand.

“I plan to continue to embrace life in my 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond. I never imagined that I would swim across the English Channel, let alone do it at 60, but, having checked off that goal, I can say that that has been my most empowering and satisfying personal achievement to date.”

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