Panthers of ISKL #233: Ashan B. (‘25) – The Cross Country Captain
“In G11, I was fortunate to be made Captain of the Cross-Country team and Co-Captain of the Track & Field team. These positions have helped me grow and forced me out of my comfort zone as naturally quiet and introverted; I enjoy captaining these teams. I also think the extra responsibility helps me perform better, as I want to set a good example for my teammates.”
Meet Ashan B. (’25), a Grade 12 student from New Zealand who is the Cross-Country Captain for this year’s Varsity team. In addition to his cross-country duties, Ashan is also one of the student leaders of the Tether Club, an HS community partnership club that builds cultural awareness, social relationships, and empathy between students and ISKL operational staff.
Here is Ashan’s story:
Can you tell us more about yourself?
My Dad is from New Zealand, and my mum is Sri Lankan but was born and raised in New Zealand. I was born in Wellington, New Zealand, and lived there until I joined ISKL in 2022.
Which grade did you join ISKL? What were your first days like?
I joined ISKL in Grade 10. I was a bit apprehensive before my first day, as I was happy at my old school in New Zealand and hadn’t initially wanted to come to Malaysia. My first few days were a big culture shock for me, having come from a public school in New Zealand to this massive, university-like campus. It was a little overwhelming at first, but after I got to know a few people, I soon felt at home at ISKL.
We understand that you are the Captain of the Cross-Country team. Can you tell us more about this?
Like most people who take up distance running, I hated it! I would go for runs with my mum during the first Covid lockdown in 2020, and she would say that I should take up distance running because she thought I’d be good at it, but I would always say that I would never voluntarily do that.
However, I joined the Cross-Country team in my first week at ISKL because I wanted to get to know more people, not because I loved running. But during that Cross-Country season, I met some great people and started to enjoy running more because I could see my progress from the training. I also did Track & Field later that year. Although I enjoyed IASAS Cross Country and Track & Field in Grade 10, my individual results weren’t very good in either. I realized that if I wanted to take my running to the next level, I would have to start training a lot more consistently. I’ve been doing this ever since, which brought me better results in Grade 11, and hopefully, it will continue to do so this year.
In Grade 11, I was also fortunate to be made Captain of the Cross-Country team and Co-Captain of the Track & Field team. These positions have definitely helped me grow and forced me out of my comfort zone as someone who is naturally quiet and introverted. I really enjoy captaining these teams. I also think the extra responsibility helps me perform better, as I want to set a good example for my teammates.
The main tip I would give anyone looking to take up distance running and join the Cross Country or Track & Field team is to come and try it out, and if you decide it’s something you want to commit to long-term, be consistent with your training. Running is a high-maintenance sport because if you don’t stick to a consistent training schedule, you won’t make any gains, and all it takes is a couple of weeks off of training to set you back many months of progress.
Do you participate in any other co-curricular activities at ISKL? Please describe them.
I am one of the leaders of the Tether Club. We are a community partnership club with ISKL operational staff. Our mission is to help to integrate our operational staff more into the ISKL community and help students to appreciate all the work they do for us. A big school like ISKL requires a lot of work behind the scenes to keep it running, and the work of the operational staff often goes unnoticed; we’re doing everything we can to change this. We do various things with the operational staff, from sports and cooking to getting to know them better, as we plan a longer-term project to create an Instagram reel series to introduce them to the student body.
What are your plans for after you graduate from ISKL?
I’m still deciding this, but I’ll likely study something science-related in New Zealand or Australia. I will also continue running, with an eye on transitioning to marathons in the coming years.
Can you tell us more about your other hobbies and interests?
I’m a big sports fan. My favorite sports to watch are cricket and rugby, and I enjoy supporting the Blackcaps (the New Zealand cricket team) and the All Blacks. I also like getting out into nature, and my favorite way to do this is mountain biking. Outside of this, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family.
Do you have any thoughts on your career pathway?
Much like what I will do at university, I’m still unsure about this, but something related to exercise science sounds interesting.
Who or what inspires you or has influenced you?
My parents have inspired me a lot. My mum for how hard she works and for pushing us to get out of our comfort zone and move to Malaysia. My Dad is the most kind, generous person I’ve ever met, and I hope that I’d be happy if I had half as good an influence on others as he’s had on me.
Most memorable moment at ISKL?
This is still to come, but I hope it will happen when ISKL hosts the IASAS Track & Field tournament in 2025.
What does “Know yourself, care for all, and create a better world” “mean to you?
These three things are all interdependent. Knowing yourself means understanding what environments you strive in, your strengths and weaknesses, and how you can positively impact others. Caring for all means respecting people regardless of whether you are close to them, and to do this, you need to know yourself. Creating a better world comes down to leaving things better than you found them, and caring for all is fundamental to this.
Do you know of any student, teacher, parent, or staff who always have an anecdote to tell, love to share some insights into their passions and interest, or simply is a Panther through and through? Nominate them to be featured in our Panthers of ISKL stories by sending in your submissions here.