SHOOTING HOOPS TO WINNING HOOTS

David Beckham, Fredrik Ljungberg, Cristiano Ronaldo, Hidetoshi Nakata, Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Ben Cohen and Lionel Messi. Just what exactly do they have in common with Contestant No. 12 Woo Tian Wei? Aside from being excellent sportsmen in their own rights, each one of these ruggedly dashing men also boast of impressively chiselled, tanned physiques that they’re proud to flaunt in photo shoots as well as on catwalks by the likes of designer labels Emporio Armani, Calvin Klein, Lacoste, Sloggi and Lody, even if it challenges them to be clad in the sizzling, sexy briefs that leave precious little to the imagination. And now we’re pleased to add 23 year old Tian Wei to the ranks of that elite fleet!

Standing tall at 1.82m, this ex-National-Youth-Cup basketball player may have traded in his tank top and shorts for a corporate suit and tie, but with his 73kg lean, defined built, which he keeps in shape with regular gym workouts, Muay Thai and Chinese martial arts, and from what we’ve seen of his newly enhanced smokin’ hot bod accentuated by those fiery red Waveline swim trunks at the Wave House pre-judging heats, we’re pretty sure he’s one of the hottest financial consultants we’ve ever seen, whose charismatic appeal definitely extends beyond his number crunching capabilities! As Tian Wei shares on the Beam Artist Management’s official Manhunt Singapore website, he joined Manhunt Singapore 2012 in fulfilment of his personal “bucket list”, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg of the many pleasant surprises up ahead in his personal interview with us as the brainy hunk waxes lyrical quoting the words from John Donne to Martin Luther King!

Congratulations on making it to the Top 20 in Manhunt Singapore 2012! What would you like to say to your fans for their support and Facebook “Likes” that helped you make it to the finals?

I would like to say a very big thank you to all my family, friends, fans and loved ones whom I fondly regard as my “brothers” and “sisters”, for giving me their fullest support so enthusiastically and helping me to make to the finals! To quote the words of poet John Donne, “no man is an island “, so it is with the continuous support of everyone around me that I find the strength and drive to keeps me going and striving for greater breakthrough in my metamorphosis journey on this competition.

In this present day and age, with the gradual acceptance and integration of the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) community into our society, how do you personally feel about having GLBT fans amongst your fans and supporters?

“Respect is a two way street, if you want to get it, you’ve got to give it”, so says R.G. Risch and I agree wholeheartedly. I do have a small number of GLBT friends in my personal social circle and they’re wonderful people and fantastic friends too! And I think it all comes down to mutual respect. As long as we mutually respect each another, not impose our personal ideals forcibly on others, and be thoughtful of personal boundaries, we’ll all get along just great!

I’m sure your fans and supporters would definitely like to get to know you a little better on a more personal level. Can you share with us some of your favourite things?
i) What do you enjoy doing most in your spare time (and no, gym doesn’t count, ha ha ha…)?
Sharing the same mantra as Henry Ford, “to do more for the world than the world does for you – that is success”, nothing makes me happier than making a difference in people’s lives. I take great pride in inspiring my friends and people around me to always dream big, work hard towards their goals, whether be it fitness, health, financial wellness or better yet, all three! Thus far, I’ve had the chance to touch the lives of a few of my “brothers” and I hope to bring it to the next level by continuing to motivate and encourage them to maximize their inner potential and live their lives to the fullest!

As for leisure, I love reading! My choice of “brain fodder”? Non-fiction books in particular, as well as the online news portal for the Bloomberg and CNN networks. Another hobby of mine would be traveling around the world, taking in new sights and sounds, and immersing myself in different cultures and experiences.

ii) Any fave TV shows?
Does the local evening news at 10pm count? Ha, ha, ha!!! Seriously though, I rarely watch TV these days, but I’ll make it a point to tune into the new Channel 8 drama series “It Takes Two” (“对对碰”) starring my buddy Shane Pow (Manhunt Singapore 2011 Top 5 finalist and rising MediaCorp newcomer star), so I can “disturb” him about it! Ha, ha, ha!!!

iii) Any fave movies?
Autobiographical adaptation movies rank first as my favourite genre! Reason being that more often than not they’re highly inspirational and motivating, such as “Glory Road”, “Cinderella Man” and The Fighter”, just to list a few of my top picks. Next in line for my preferred genre choice would be Thai romantic comedies like “Hello Stranger”, “First Love (Crazy Little Thing Called Love)” and “Suckseed”! And as a treat for my GLBT fans and supporters, you might want to check out this movie called “Yes Or No”. I watched it previously with my GLBT friends and found it to be rather good and well deserving of a recommend from me.

iv) What are you currently playing on your iPod/playlist?

Lately I’ve been grooving to the rockin’ tunes of the March 2012 compilation of “Top 40 Hit Music Mix” by DJ Short-E.

v) Any fave recipes or food? Would you say you’re a good cook?

Thanks to my Mom who took me under her wing as her “apprentice” in our kitchen at home since young, I’d say I make a good home chef, able to whip up lip-smackingly delicious curry chicken, steamed fish and quite a few other family specialty dishes. Ha, ha, ha…

vi) What are some of your fave hangouts?

My top three favourite hot spots are firstly Malaysia, for my Johor Bahru supper trips with my kakis at “Seafood 101 Restaurant” which I always look forward to; secondly would be the McDonalds outlet at Tampines Bus Interchange, where I regularly catch up with my buddies over burgers and fries on my “diet cheat days”, and last but not least, home sweet home, my personal haven for chilling out and relaxation!

vii) Any fave gadgets? What is it about this gadget/s that appeals to you?

The iPhone 4S and PlayStation3 are two of my most prized electronic gadget possessions! As I am always on the go, the former is my handy companion keeping me updated on the latest news online as well as my schedules and reminders; the latter is my birthday gift from my “brothers”, which besides fulfilling my gaming needs also doubles up as my “home theatre system” in my room! Ha, ha, ha!!!

viii) Could you share with us a lesser-known interesting fact about yourself?
Even though it’s been quite a while since I last rocked out with a band, truth be told I’m actually quite a skilled drummer! The story of how I got started actually dates back to my pre-enlistment days, when soon after graduating from junior college I decided to take a chance on myself to see if I had what it takes to fulfil my teenage dream of playing drums and enrolled in “Music Clef” at Suntec City. Under the tutelage of Dr Jimmy Lee, who himself had been schooled by the “Grand Master of Drums” Steve Gadd, I began to excel and later even had the opportunity to perform at the school concert, a couple of private gigs and even during my National Service (NS) for our Passing Out Parade (POP) show at Officer Cadet School (OCS), which was really awesome!

You look rather familiar. Might we have seen you anywhere before?

During my younger years, I used to be quite actively involved in competitive basketball and was proud and honoured to have represented and competed in “Youth Cup – under 18”. Nowadays, I keep up my game via playing in community tournaments, “Open Men’s Division”, as well as private leagues like “BBAXN” and “Jammers’ League”.

What made you decide to take part in Manhunt Singapore 2012?
My decision to join Manhunt Singapore this year stemmed from honouring a personal promise to my “brothers”. In an attempt to motivate ourselves to live our lives to the fullest and maximize our inner potential, every year we would come up with a “bucket list” for each of us, meaning things that we want to accomplish before “kicking the bucket”, or to put it bluntly, before we die. And it just so happens that on my “bucket list” for this year, my “brothers” challenged me to make it into the finals of Manhunt Singapore, so with plenty of hard work, lots of perseverance, and a little luck, that’s exactly what I’ve succeeded in doing!

On a personal note, I would really like to specially thank my “brother” Darren Stephen Lim. Many of you may recognize him as the impressive guy who swept multiple accolades as well as bagged 2nd runner-up back in Manhunt Singapore 2009. I first got to know Darren through a mutual friend, Low Yong Zhen, and since then we’ve grown to become close buddies through our common passions in gym and of course, basketball. He’s truly been instrumental in inspiring, motivating and offering me guidance throughout my journey on Manhunt Singapore this year. The dude’s a bona fide Greek God when it comes to his physique, so one look at him is enough to drive me to step up my game in the gym to strive for the same level of physical perfection! Ha, ha, ha!!!

Before enrolling in this competition, what was your impression of Manhunt Singapore 2012 like? Now that you’re a finalist, has that impression changed?

As with many public misconceptions about most pageants, I too had the preconceived notion that it was just going to be a race to see who can sculpt their body into the buffest and hottest state possible! That perception has since been completely overturned after I joined the competition and got to know my fellow finalists! We’ve established a “brotherhood” of friendship amongst us and the camaraderie as well as memories we’ve shared on this common journey are priceless and will definitely last for many years to come!

You’ve received numerous compliments on Facebook, praising your well-toned physique in the Manhunt Singapore 2012 photo shoots. Were you always this hunky since young? If not, what inspired you to build up your physique? How did you do it?

Even though I was physically fit during my competitive basketball playing days, my body frame at that time was not very well-toned but rather on the slightly chunkier side, as I needed to bulk up for my basketball games then. It wasn’t until I joined Manhunt Singapore 2012, got selected for the Top 20 finalists in the first round, and went for our first photo shoot at Emily Hill, did I come to the realization that all my fellow competitors were already in top physical form to begin with! That was my wake-up call and immediately after, I fully committed myself by going “full throttle” at the gym and enlisted the help of my “brother” Darren to get myself sculpted to the best muscularly defined form possible, to match up to the high calibre of my fellow competition!

There is often the impression that good looking individuals tend to shun or discriminate against others who may not be as aesthetically pleasing in looks and physique. To what extent would you agree with this statement? What is your personal stance on this issue?

I disagree with this statement because it is my belief that this mentality is only subscribed to by a minority and does not suffice to qualify as a general public consensus. On a personal stance, as what Martin Luther King mentioned in his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, I too have faith that someday our world would be such that our “children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character”. Let us direct our focus on personal character rather than the physical appearances, whether be it skin colour, looks or physique, as while our outer facades will inevitably change over time, it is the indelible qualities that lie within us which should be of utmost importance! Courage, resilience, strength, perseverance, faith, compassion and humility are just some of the qualities I have seen exhibited by my fellow finalist “brothers” through the course of this competition, and I’m grateful to have had this chance to meet and befriend them, as they inspire and motivate me every day! Cheers to you all, my “brothers”!

On the Miss Universe and Miss World annual competitions, emphasis is often placed on promoting world peace and helping the needy who are facing issues such as hunger, poverty and sickness. If given the choice to make a difference, what social cause would you want to champion? Why?

Since my junior college days, I’ve always been a personal advocate against food wastage, so naturally the social cause closest to my heart would be world hunger relief. My steadfast conviction on this issue was ignited when I went on a mission trip to visit the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia and give out ration supplies in aid of the villages. To convey their appreciation as well as welcome us, the villagers prepared a sumptuous spread of beehoon, ikan kuning (those flat little fried fish you find in nasi lemaks) and chicken. It was only later during the meal that they told us that these dishes that we tend to take for granted everyday were actually luxury food items that they could only afford every once in a blue moon! Upon learning that, my fellow mission trip mates and I were so moved and affected that we made a personal resolution there and then to never again waste food and do our part wherever possible to support world hunger relief.

On a closing note, were you surprised when you first learnt of this Manhunt Singapore Alumni group and were invited to join it in Facebook? How do you think the group is working out so far? Do you have any suggestion on how we can make both the alumni group as well as this blog better in time to come?

I’m grateful to have been invited to join the alumni and get acquainted with as well as befriend other alumni who have been past winners and finalists in previous years of the Manhunt Singapore competition. Kudos to the founder and contributors of the alumni for the regular updates, plentiful photos and entertaining blog write-ups! Keep up the great work!

Kudos to you too Tian Wei! You’ve proven that it is possible for a guy to have brains, brawns, culinary chops, musical talent and a big compassionate heart, in other words, the whole package! So speedy recovery to your foot injury and we wish you the best of luck in the upcoming finals!

If you’d like to catch Tian Woo and the rest of our Manhunt Singapore 2012 Top 20 finalists in action and express your support for them in person, don’t forget to buy your tickets and head on down to Avalon at Marina Bay Sands on 7 September 2012 at 7pm. Tickets are selling fast, so get them now at EventCliQue!!!

https://tickets.eventclique.com/manhunt/Online/default.asp

Photos Credit:

Beam Artistes Pte Ltd (www.beam.com.sg)
Marcus Mok Photography (http://www.marcusart.net/),
Dennis Chong Fotocology (http://www.fotocology.com/),
Milk Photographie (http://www.milkphotographie.com/index.php),
Entertainment on Xin MSN (http://entertainment.xin.msn.com/)
and Tian Wei’s Personal Photos