So much has happened! My life has been thrown a curve and set me on a roller-coaster high and low all at the same moment. I must have experienced the widest myriad of emotions in these few days as good and bad news hit me right in the face in continuity. On Monday morning, I received a call from my coach that the latest Notice of Race fax for the 2001 SEA Games has excluded the Ladies category from the Sailing classes. My heart skipped a beat and I experienced a numbness which put me into instant denial of factual information. However, I refused to receive that as final and set about on a short intense journey of appeal. I did my homework and straightaway rallied all the Important people in the International Olympic Council to lend a voice to this thoroughly sexual discriminating tragedy. This inclusion of the Ladies class has always been a see-saw discussion due to several factors: 1) Malaysia, does not have any lady windsurfers hence does not want to include a category they cannot win a medal in. 2) Malaysia, being a Muslim state, does not put equality on Ladies events. Many of the sports categories do not have ladies categories only until recently when under foreign attack. Up to 2-3 mths ago, it was a tentative arrangement that there will be a Mistral Men's (open) and Mistral Ladies in the 2001 SEA Games like the Olympics. However, the latest fax we received yesterday indicated Mistral Lightweight (Open) and Heavyweight (Open). Never before in SEA Games history do we have such weird combinations and not to mention the exclusion of the Ladies category. We always had the 5 categories Mistral Men's Lightweight, Heavyweight, Men's Raceboard Lightweight and Heavyweight and Ladies for the last 3-4 SEA Games. However, this time, we only have 2 categories and the Olympic Games Ladies category is not included! Of course, this runs contrary to what Olympic windsurfing has been promoting. I remember clearly on the 31 Dec 2000 afternoon at the National Sailing Center in Singapore that Lee Lai Shan was telling me that any event held under the International Olympic Council umbrella must include as a basic, the Olympic Games categories (in this case, Men's & Ladies). I've checked the IOC website and saw that 2001 SEA Games is organised as a IOC & ISAF event (http://www.ioc.org.my). Lee Lai Shan was telling me should this situation happen, I can write to IOC and complain. I'm angry that the MISTRAL ladies class is considered NOT important and not worthy to be in such a major Games. The last thing I want to accept is this fact! It is a major insult to all ladies windsurfers who have committed themselves to such a cause only to find themselves in a Sexual Discriminatory discussion. I can't help but see this form of sexual discrimination as an issue larger than just a category issue. The best part of this issue is that ALL other sailing classes (Optimist, Laser, 420, 470) all have Ladies classes except for MISTRAL. I don't understand why. They even had the 420 Ladies & Laser Radial for Ladies which were not even in the Olympic Games!! I don't see why MISTRAL WOMEN can be less important than the Laser Radial and 420. I have quit my job in the hope that I can train full-time for Asian races and later, European races, but if countries (especially Muslim countries) are excluding Ladies, what can I fight for? I wrote emails to Rory Ramsden, Head of IMCO International, Aaron Botzer (Olympics International Jury), Lee Lai Shan, and many other key people all over the world. I appealed to them to rally their support for SEA Ladies windsurfers. While I've done all I possibly could in my limited capacity, I sought God for words of comfort and miracles. All my life God has always been faithful and showing Himself to be more than that recently. When there was initially not yet a Ladies class, He gave me a word "The hearts of kings are in His Hands, HE turns it wherever He wishes." He also taught me to "Hold fast to the confession of your faith". I hung on to that word and confessed & believed hard enough to see it coming to pass. The next notice came with the inclusion of the Ladies class. I was more than elated. I was filled with an overflowing revelation of God's grace and mercy, love and power. Then the next challenge came when I came to know that my buddy was going full-time. I was shattered as it seems now that I could lose the fight to something as irrelevant as 'unpaid leave'. I cried out to God! HE heard me and gave me another Word which today, I saw it come to pass yet again!! He told me that just as He multiplied the 5 loaves and 2 fishes, He has the power to MULTIPLY the little training I have. Trust Him and it'll manifest. Today, I can testify that it has come to pass. After 2 months of weekend training (twice a week) while my buddy does full-time training 6 days a week, my results are on par with her. I lost Singapore Open to her by a sheer one point. I lost Tudor International to her even though we had the same points but it was on a countback default that she gained the edge. Coach however reassured me that our standards are on the same level and if I train full-time, I would be able to improve at a much faster rate. Today, I'm standing here seeing yet another miracle. He showed me in the BIBLE last night as I came to Him in faith and desperation. He showed me Exodus 18 "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord." My bookmark dropped out from my Kenneth Copeland daily devotions book which shouted the verse from Psalm 40: "Be still and know that I am God" I broke down in tears!! Surely, I feel like I'm on the edge of the Red Sea and the Egyptian armies are hot on my heels. I have nowhere to go and no way of escape. I've quit my job and have no idea that I have to face this ultimatum. Yet I know that since I've done everything possible within my means, I'm gonna be still and know that He is God and He will work miracles now. I just need to stand still and keep hanging on strong to the confession of my faith. This morning when I stepped into my office, I received emails from Rory Ramsden to the President of Singapore National Olympic Council, Malaysian Yachting Association President, and many other key people involved in this issue. He requested for a redress in this most regrettable issue which the International Olympic Council disapproves since they have been promoting women's sports to be included in the Olympics. I cried as I read through the mail. I could see God's fingerprints all over the place. i know deep in my heart that all will be well...If God be for me, who can be against me?