09.12.07
In Loving Memory of Thaddeus Cheong
Update [27.08.07]: I have added some news reports about the recent death of Captain Ho.
1. “Marathon runner dies after 21km” (August 26, 2007)
2.Participant of Singapore Bay Run dies at end of 21km run (August 26, 2007)
3.Army captain dies in race; second such fatality this year (August 27, 2007)
This is an online tribute to Thaddeus Cheong, the 17-year-old boy who showed us what dreams are truly about.
I am not from Thaddeus’ school. I am not a Singaporean. I didn’t know him personally. Nevertheless, I am inspired by him.
If you knew Thaddeus or has read about him or has come to this blog because of him, PLEASE leave a comment at the end of this entry so that people will remember him forever.
One thing we can all learn from him: follow your dreams and fight for what you believe.
Thank you very much.
Comment by dexter
“thad was my best friend, my training partner, my source of inspiration. we did everything together. overseas races and trips, fishing trips, movie dates, dinner/lunch dates. everything and anything. you shithead. beat me to heaven. you said we’ll be there for each other, through thick and thin. now you pang se me. i’m gonna box you the next time i see you. oh man thad. remember the shit we pulled in our trips? yeah. kukup and afamosa was like one of the best! how we pulled each other during training? yeah? and i still owe you $20. hope you’re not taking interest, cos i’m gonna be broke if you do that. remember our last fishing trip? on monday 18jun? we were like baking ourselves lah. helping each other rub tanning oil on each other’s back. making the deck all so oilly!! and you! stupid. played with my cube with your oily hands. well, i placed that cube in your coffin. burnt it with you. take good care of it okay?? cos when i join you, i also wanna play with it! and guess what? we were supposed to watch transformers today.. and i did! i got 2 tickets! one for you, one for me. hope you enjoyed it. the story line was okok. but the special effects were great! well, the last show we officially watched was ocean 13 with pat remember? and we were supposed to watch fan4 on father’s day but you had some lunch in the end:( thad i’ll always remember you as my best friend, my brother. you better keep fit in heaven, cos our race for sea games aint over yet.”
What can you find in this entry?
1. News reports on Thaddeus’ sudden death.
2. Obituaries written by other bloggers.
3. Information on the sport Thaddeus loved so much – triathlon.
More to come.
How can you contribute?
1. Pay tribute to Thaddeus by leaving a comment at the end of this entry. You can share with us the memory you have with Thaddeus or how you feel about the whole incident.
2. If you have also blogged about Thaddeus, you may also include in your comment the direct link to your entry so that we can combine all the online obituaries together.
3. In your comment you may also write about the things you know about triathlon or provide us with links to relevant sites. I believe Thaddeus himself would feel happy if more people get to know about triathlon. Hopefully we will all fall in love with this challenging sport like Thaddeus did.
4. Tell your friends about this online tribute.
I.News report
1. “Teen triathlete collapses and dies after race” (the first news report on Thaddeus’ sudden death from The Straits Times)
2. “Family of dead teen triathlete does not blame anyone”.
3. “Emergency equipment ‘too costly’” (Including photographs of Thaddeus Cheong and the medals he won)
4. “Triathlete’s heart failure death shocks fraternity”. (June 26, 2007)
5. “Multi-agency effort to relook safety precautions at sports events” (June 25, 2007)
6. “Triathlon Association makes plans to avoid repeat of teen-death tragedy” (June 27, 2007)
7. “Farewell to Thaddeus” (June 28, 2007)
8. “Marathon runner dies after 21km” (August 26, 2007)
9.Participant of Singapore Bay Run dies at end of 21km run (August 26, 2007)
10.Army captain dies in race; second such fatality this year (August 27, 2007)
II. Obituries written by other bloggers.
1. “Obituary” by
2. “Tribute” by David.
3. “The Heart Stopped” by David.
4. “Teen triathlete collapses and dies after race” by Richy, a Hong Kong runner.
5. “Untitled” by
6. “to my og mate, team mate, and good friend.” by trainlikehell.
7. “wake” by trainlikehell.
8. “just a final closure” by trainlikehell.
9. “strong, we will” by CaiJing
10. “a day lived is a day gained” by CaiJing
11. “pink is love” by CaiJing
12. “never a right time to say goodbye” by CaiJing
13. “an lost angel” by CaiJing
14. “a song written for Thaddeus” YouTube
III. About triathlon
1. Triathlon Association of Singapore
2. “Triathlon” (from Wikipedia)
3. “Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Athletic Medicine” (taken from Days as a David’s blog)
Raffles « Loveless Summer said,
27 June,2007 at 10:29 pm
[...] If you knew Thaddeus Cheong or has read about him or has come to this blog because of him, PLEASE click here to read an entry dedicated to him and leave a comment so that people will remember him [...]
SoloXis said,
28 June,2007 at 12:40 am
He was my classmate from Sec 3-4… It’s really heart-wrenching to see him go so suddenly… It was only two days before when I talked to him…
Hope he’s happy in wherever he is now… Keep on running Thaddeus… We’ll always remember you…
Ren said,
28 June,2007 at 1:03 am
I don’t know Thaddeus personally. But i feel the loss all the same. There are probably many whys ringing in our minds. Why him? Why must he leave us so young? Only God knows why. And it’s the same God that is probably waiting for Thaddeus in Heaven, welcoming him back home. Take comfort that he is somewhere better now.
Death is not the end, it’s just the start of a new beginning.
Loveless said,
28 June,2007 at 2:56 pm
Thank you so much for showing your support. I also didn’t know Thaddeus personally. Nevertheless, when I frist read the news report on ST, i was truly shocked and saddened. Even though some of us may not know him, but from the news report we can all tell what kind of person he was – persevering, hard-working, determined in doing what he belives in. It is really unfortunate that some of us only get to know such a wonderful guy when he is no longer around.
thomas said,
28 June,2007 at 3:13 pm
i do not know Thaddeus perosnally too. i attended his funeral mass as a fellow catholic and was awed by the attendance. my niece died suddenly at age 19 in 2002 and i could empathise the wrenching moments Thaddeus’s family is going thru, his mum and dad and his bro thomas were all holding on, till all these are over, and when they got back home and try to live their lives again and pick up their pieces, that’s where the tough journey begins.
Ariedartin said,
28 June,2007 at 3:39 pm
To author: Yes, you may. Let’s all remember Thaddeus and his time on earth, short as it may, it was full.
Jo said,
28 June,2007 at 5:03 pm
i don’t know thaddeus personally,but he is my cousin’s schoolmate.from what i’ve read about him in the papers,i think he is someone ought to be respected by all.he may be a tender 17 years of age (im 17 too),but he knows what he wants in life,and to work hard towards his goals.in a way or so,i salute him for this commendable spirit withink him.
[originally a comment for the entry "Raffles".]
Chun said,
28 June,2007 at 7:21 pm
It really is a waste of such a young life but at least we know that he’s in a better place than the messed up world we live in now.
One thing for sure. His legacy will live on in the hearts of all athletes out there.
[originally a comment for the entry “Raffles”.]
Dave said,
28 June,2007 at 9:05 pm
“Death ends a life, not a relationship.” – Robert Benchley
I didn’t get to see him fr the first and last time at his wake, didn’t know where it’s held and have been regretting. He’s a great role model for all athletes alike and has inspired me to keep running. I’m sure in the upcoming track and field championships, he’ll be a figure all athletes keep in mind before our events.
Entries:
http://idonotoweyouanything.wordpress.com/2007/06/25/tribute/
http://idonotoweyouanything.wordpress.com/2007/06/27/the-heart-stopped/
Blurmax said,
28 June,2007 at 9:50 pm
It’s always sad to learn a young and talented runner collapse and die after a race.
Just wishing CHEONG will rest in peace.
Ariedartin said,
28 June,2007 at 10:41 pm
Just to tell you. My obituary was copied from the newspapers – it was not composed by me.
Loveless said,
28 June,2007 at 10:45 pm
To Ariedartin: It’s OK. I just want to compile all the things we have about Thaddeus Cheong. The fact that you took the time to post an entry about him, whether it was composed by you or copied from newspapers, shows that you truly care.
Feiya said,
28 June,2007 at 11:05 pm
I don’t know Thaddeus personally too. 0n the morning of 25th june,just before my cse common test, my friend who is Thaddeus’ classmate told me the sad news. I was very shocked and saddened. Such a young life is gone, leaving us a lot of things to think and reflect: determination,perseverance,dreams,goals,preciousness of life or something else? Thaddeus, you have been a great model for all of your peers and many others, I admire you and hope you can still live your life to the fullest in the heaven.
fang said,
28 June,2007 at 11:16 pm
hey yes you can use my blogstuff. thanks for doing this for thad. i knew him personally, and he was a great friend.
Deyna said,
29 June,2007 at 12:02 am
Thaddeus, you are a massive massive inspiration to my 4 kids!
Spoon said,
29 June,2007 at 12:02 pm
I did not know Thaddeus. I’m sad to learn him passing away. Please accept my sincere condolences on his death. Hope his family and friends step away from the grief.
Mag said,
29 June,2007 at 12:57 pm
Thaddeus seems like a great young guy, as a fellow catholic, I am sorry to see him go.. May his soul rest in peace and may God be with his family…
Loveless said,
29 June,2007 at 2:31 pm
Thank you once again for your support. I will try my best to update this entry regularly and keep it on top of all the other entries.
As a student, I don’t want people to remember us as someone who wants other people to “get out of my elite uncaring face”, or someone who “punches a bus driver”. I want others to remember us as runners who never stop pursuing our dreams.
toodloos said,
29 June,2007 at 11:52 pm
I dont know Thaddeus personally but I know that He has seen the Lord and is sitting beside Him right now.
Thaddeus lived, inspired, motivated, brought laughter to many of his friends. The way I see them grief just showed me what a fantastic friend Thaddeus was to them.
I know some may ask, “Why Thaddeus God? He was such a great guy.” The things are the Lord are not that easily comprehensible by our simple minds. I pray that through this children of God will just continue to grow in faith, seek His word and aim to glorify and shin for the Lord. Like how Thaddeus did it.
caijingg said,
29 June,2007 at 11:59 pm
i can add some orbituries too if you want to know more about him. my blog. thank you so much for making this for thaddeus, i believe that he is more than anything glad to inspire so many of us.
Randolph said,
30 June,2007 at 10:03 am
Thaddeus, YOU will remain an inspiration to all the young athletes, especially triathletes. They will fulfil your dreams for Singapore in producing more medals, be it gold, silver or bronze. We will miss you tremendously. May you continue and persevere up there, eternally… with no fear, with GOD by your side. Goodbye!
Ps. So sorry that I never had a chance to run with you..that day will come.
Marilyn said,
30 June,2007 at 7:13 pm
I do not know Thaddeus personally. But you will be a role model and will remain an inspiration to all the young athletes. May his soul rest in peace.
dexter said,
1 July,2007 at 1:12 am
thad was my best friend, my training partner, my source of inspiration. we did everything together. overseas races and trips, fishing trips, movie dates, dinner/lunch dates. everything and anything. you shithead. beat me to heaven. you said we’ll be there for each other, through thick and thin. now you pang se me. i’m gonna box you the next time i see you. oh man thad. remember the shit we pulled in our trips? yeah. kukup and afamosa was like one of the best! how we pulled each other during training? yeah? and i still owe you $20. hope you’re not taking interest, cos i’m gonna be broke if you do that. remember our last fishing trip? on monday 18jun? we were like baking ourselves lah. helping each other rub tanning oil on each other’s back. making the deck all so oilly!! and you! stupid. played with my cube with your oily hands. well, i placed that cube in your coffin. burnt it with you. take good care of it okay?? cos when i join you, i also wanna play with it! and guess what? we were supposed to watch transformers today.. and i did! i got 2 tickets! one for you, one for me. hope you enjoyed it. the story line was okok. but the special effects were great! well, the last show we officially watched was ocean 13 with pat remember? and we were supposed to watch fan4 on father’s day but you had some lunch in the end:( thad i’ll always remember you as my best friend, my brother. you better keep fit in heaven, cos our race for sea games aint over yet.
Loveless said,
1 July,2007 at 9:34 am
Dexter…I am so sorry for your loss…
My gosh, I couldn’t stop crying when i was reading your comment…
I don’t know what I can say…
God…
caijingg said,
1 July,2007 at 11:35 am
cel said,
1 July,2007 at 7:55 pm
Thaddeus, although I do not know you personally, but being church-goers to every saturday sunset mass, i watched as your brother and you grow from young boys to fine looking teens. I’m sure you’ll find us (my family) familiar although we do not know each others’ names. But, I know yours now. I’m afraid its too late but I would like you to know how much your determination and perseverance have inspired many of us. I guess it must have been scary dying, alone, but you are a strong young man! And God have faith in you. He’ll always be there protecting you, up in heaven as you find peace in eternal life. You’ll always be remembered and missed. And funny it may seems, Thaddeus, but whenever I am self-doubting myself these days, afraid of overcoming any upcoming obstacles, I will think of you- your determination and your strength, and somehow that make me stronger mentally. Thanks Thaddeus for being my (and many others’) inspiration.
Raphael said,
1 July,2007 at 9:28 pm
Thaddeus i’ll help you fulfil your dream…
nike says “just do it”
We shop,fish,train,play pool and much more…
will miss you lots babe…we always call each other like that…(:
loves lots
ruffxz
ML said,
1 July,2007 at 10:04 pm
Dear everyone,
The picture of Thaddeus caught my eye at work as I was walking past a desk of a colleague. I thought, wow, must be something great happening at sports or in school. Will take a look later. And later, my colleague related how Thaddeus has passed on after a triathlon. I thought how sad, and later during the day, wondered what could have been done to help him. At lunch, I called my sister, and then realised that Thaddeus’ brother Thomas was in the same class as my nephew Theodore. His classmates had called each other to visit the wake, and had made arrangements to go in the evening because it would be much quieter, and they will not get in the way of the family. That night, Theo suffered a nightmare, his classmate’s brother’s passing on had affected him deeply. Thomas and Theodore are thirteen. I pray for Thaddeus, and his family, and all families. Rest in Peace, dear … and let us all see you in heaven. Love, ML.
Jackii said,
2 July,2007 at 1:59 pm
Hope to get to know u in Heaven
See ya.
Muhammad Fazli said,
4 July,2007 at 5:22 pm
i am a stranger who do not have any relationship with his family nor our beloved thaddeus himself….
i’ve been reading the article and so called doing a research on Thaddeus’ case and all those who have written from what they felt from the bottom of their heart…i couldn’t imagine that a young and healthy looking guy would go off just like that without saying his last goodbyes and apologies or something….this is all beyond our control as we are not god and to judge or to controls peoples life…He who creates, He who decides….
he’s that kind of person who is keen to improve and to show others that he is the man of words…..and this is a ppowerful gadget in life…. like what the mother says, when he wants something, he will go for it and achieved his goals….and walla!….his goals are met before he collapse!….he crossed the finishing line with a qualifiying time to take part in the sea games but poor him, he has to go back with the lord….and he can continue in heaven or even watch his team mates participating and give his blessings to his team mates…..to thomas, his sweet brother, go on persuing your brothers dream and he will guide you through all the way….so let us pray for him that all his sins will be cleared away and always be by God’s side and may he have a peaceful stay in heaven…amen….
what is left is memories, pictures of him, and stuffs that make you think about him….i’m so sorry to his family especially to his grandmother who is very very sad of losing such a kind hearted grandchild who always hold his grandmother and grandfathers hands when going to church….i’m so sorry…..a very big sorry to the family and friends who are affected……pray for Thaddeus always may he always be in your mind and memory…..amen….
Hadri said,
5 July,2007 at 3:27 pm
Losing someone that you love is definitely a difficult process that each of us have to go through. Every human being without a doubt have to go through this depressing moments of their lives… and it can take a decade to recover, get back on our feet and moved on… well.. i said that cuz i have lost both of my grandparents that has showered me with infinite love, care and concern when i was young… Well… Thaddeus, to me is nothing but strangers… i don’t even know him… but something about him has really touched and inspired not only atheletes but a normal student like me… He may be a typical student who happens to be in an athelete, in a prestigious school but what set him apart from the rest is that.. he has the power to connect to people.. he has reached out to a lot of people… his death has awaken some of my senses that I and in fact everyone.. should cherish our loved ones.. well.. the higher power has taken him but i believed that each of us should move on with our lives and not forgetting to leave a space for him in our hearts so that he’ll always be remembered… may god ease all your sense of loss and may god bless everyone… love ya’ll… and maybe someday… i’ll run a marathon for him… well someone pls organize this cuz i’ll be there if i can make it… man… i got to start training….
Dave said,
9 July,2007 at 10:21 pm
Thaddeus, tmr’s my 200m. You’ll be my windshadow yea. I know it sounds damn gay and I dun even know you. But I think it’s like a spiritual belief since we’re all athletes. (: Watch over us when we run. (:
dave.
dexter said,
13 July,2007 at 11:23 pm
yo bro! just dropping to say hi. i watched harrypotter yesterday.. it was a BORE! and and and i watched die hard today! it really lived up to its name, that fella really cant die. and remember the show national treasure we watched sometime back? there’s a sequel coming up! oh and thomas, he’s mine nowww. all mineeee. haha. dont worrry bro. i’ll take care of him:) just as you would. and while i’m here, please check in on pat. dont give her a hard time. she’s feeling bad enough already. osim’s in 2 weeks! excited?! you always were. well, train hard bro, i aint gonna slow down for you. so you just gotta go all the catching. and ya, i’m coming over on monday, at around 6.. yea. no no. just me -.- maybe i’ll ask julian to tag! bet you miss him too. haha. oh please. i got a race on sun! 2k in the pot! oh please bless me with good tailwind. and i’ll take thomas out more offen in return:) well with all jokes aside, i truely miss you. training aint training anymore. i got no one to play with. no one to keep me going. but now, all i have to do is think of you, and you’ll be there. i’ll train hard for you, i’ll race hard for you. i’ll never let your legacy fade away.
anyway people, check this out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uST5KiWrgFs
its a song written for thaddeus.
leave your well wishes at the comments.
thanks.
dexter said,
16 July,2007 at 10:22 pm
hey buddy. i went to see you today. and guess who i met there! i met your mom, dad, grandma and grandpa. we ended up praying together. anyways, remember the race i was telling you about? i got 2nd! 68k bike, 18k run. won 1k. yays. you didnt really help by giving me good wind, but luckly you gave me someone strong to work with on the bike. in the end he won me. till now, i have no freaking idea how he moved so fast in the mangrove swamp. we had a deal remember? help me win, and i’ll take thomas out:) so dont worry, i will. okay gtg. see ya. rest well bro.
livestrong,
dexter
Loveless said,
17 July,2007 at 1:28 pm
Hi dexter, congrats!
One day you will win the first prize de because thaddues is by your side.
God bless.
Anonymous said,
18 July,2007 at 10:58 pm
to all those left behind,
we’ll support you all the way
thad, rest in peace. hope life’s better up there.
yufang said,
21 July,2007 at 7:29 am
i don’t know why i’m here but it’s almost been a month.
Loveless said,
23 July,2007 at 1:40 pm
ya. true. how time flies. people my have stop coming to this site, but that doesn’t mean we have forgotten about Thaddeus. At least I haven’t.
Dave said,
30 July,2007 at 8:19 pm
Hey Thad,
48th track nationals ended so sadly for me. My team mate and I screwed our passing and we dropped the baton. The event I’d most hopes for just ended like that. I didn’t even get to sprint that 100m. But I won’t stop sprinting. (:
keep on running,
dave
dexter said,
30 July,2007 at 11:08 pm
hey dave. i think i saw that event. were you the last runner?
Denise said,
31 July,2007 at 9:37 pm
Hey thad,
I was never a very close friend, but now that you’re gone, I see how big the role you played in my life was. When we didn’t eat enough you made us eat. When we were feeling bored you played with us. I was your little mei – mei, and you always looked out and cared for me. I wished for you to come back day and night, then realised you’re happier in Heaven. Brought your bike to Osim, no doubt you won first place in Heaven. We all wore pink ribbons and shirts in memory of your everlasting smile and your great attitude. Thanks for sticking my note onto your wall. I feel so touched, I was the last few who wrote a note to you. Your bro dumped sand in Dessere’s hair. Took one hour to get it off. Dessere and I believed you gave us the motivation to win this year’s Osim, so thank you , and wish you a happy life in Heaven.
Denise
Dave said,
1 August,2007 at 12:17 am
I was the third leg. Ok tt sounds funny if you get what I mean. Lols. You saw? The exchange was between 2nd and 3rd leg. My team’s last runner didn’t even get to run. Sighs. Was really wasted as our 2nd leg gave us a gd lead – first on fact. Until it came to me. Arrrrrrghh. Oh well..
dexter said,
2 August,2007 at 12:52 am
yeah. i was supporting my school. we won if i’m not wrong. well, we all screw up at races. not only you(just that YOU crushed the forth runner dreams). opps i didnt say that. anyway. continue training hard. take care dude.
dexter said,
2 August,2007 at 12:56 am
anyway THAD! while i’m here, i wanna telly you how osim went. 16-18 junior boys i came in 5th! first singaporean. first was china followed by macau, hk and macau. next day i raced od 19-24 mens. came in 3rd! lost to UK and AUS. first ASIAN!! DEXTER! PWNED OSIM! haha. like you always say. thanks for watching over me, you were my motivation. you blocked my pain. and now, we share the dream.
livestrong,
dexter
thomas said,
3 August,2007 at 3:39 pm
nice to come in here to read about thaddeus still, you guys keep going and i’ll keep reading
Raphael said,
5 August,2007 at 9:47 pm
hey thaddeus i really miss you so much dude…
stay cool in pink always while in heaven k?
take care bro…
caijingg said,
8 August,2007 at 2:56 pm
ooh, congrats dexter !!! marvelous job (:
room 8292 said,
8 August,2007 at 7:17 pm
Miss you loads Thad… Guess i’ll never get to draft behind you again, or hear you complain that my bike is so darn dirty, or get pwned by you during the drinking water game, or hear your cheers of encouragement, among a lot of other things. I won’t forget any of it, I promise.
Hope you’re doing fine up there..
Loveless said,
10 August,2007 at 11:20 am
Thank you so much for coming back again and again to offer your blessings and share your memories.
God bless.
Anyways, I am looking for an article published on Today last Saturday. It is about sudden deaths of Singaporean youths. Can anyone find it?
Muhammad Fazli said,
11 August,2007 at 2:43 pm
wow!! i can’t believe until now i still remember about Thaddeus!! oh god…..really missed him!! Stay happy always in heaven!!
caijing said,
22 December,2007 at 8:20 pm
wow its been.. almost 6 months. exactly 6 months it will be christmas eve. sigh and he isnt with us for this christmas. but hope he is up there with Him celebrating christmas! merry christmas to all (:
yao khuan said,
29 December,2007 at 1:19 pm
merry christmas thaddeus!
dont worry,i wont forget you de
oh and happy new year too
Anonymous said,
29 February,2008 at 7:19 pm
you are missed.
Marvin said,
12 June,2008 at 1:12 pm
Hey Thad, wanna say a big THANK YOU to you!
Read “Running The Full Distance” and you inspired me a lot!
Will work hard for my dream and hope to win a SEA Games medal for Singapore in 2013 (when Singapore is the host city)
Take care dude!
God bless… =]
Antony said,
1 July,2008 at 5:06 pm
I trained non competitively with the TAS in 2004 and had the luck of meeting Thaddeus many times. He is a good kid and I was and still am very saddened by his loss of life.
The world needs people like Thaddeus and it is a lesser place without him.
I am a better person for having known Thaddeus, even for short period.
God Bless to the family and I know he is in our hearts always.
Antony Lomas
Elyssia said,
17 July,2008 at 10:07 pm
hey thad
read your book, Running the Full Distance: Thaddeus Cheong. Its a really inspiring book. i noe im abit late in getting it but still im really surprised at the number of runs you’ve taken part in. and in 17 years!! thats quite an achievement.
God bless to the family, friends, and everyone else!!
mel said,
4 April,2009 at 12:46 am
hi thad! i just want to say you’ve really been an inspiration to many athletes here on this planet. how i wished i knew you. your family is so lucky to have such a good son,good grandchild,good brother and good nephew like you! its tough being good,i know.Yet,despite ur constant pursue of lofty dreams,you could manage relationships with ur family and friends well and make time for them.i really give it to you.
im glad you’re in a better place now with Him. take care still and i’ll rmb you always(: