Spearheaded by the 2010 movie sequel “Tron: Legacy”, many sci-fi films struck box-office gold following the reinvention and revoluntionalization of their predecessor film classics. With stunning visual effects and hunky male leads, these new blockbusters infused new energy, style and sexiness in the game genre .Competitive gaming that was once exclusive to nerdy geeks has since become the pet obsession of many gym-fit guys too!
PSB Academy Diploma in Sports and
Exercise Sciences student, freelance model, and Manhunt Singapore 2013
finalist, Kendrick Lim
too has another face as an avid gamer. At first glance, who would have guessed
this 1.82m lanky lad, with his 78kg bronzed body would be such a big fan of
electronic games as plentiful as "Defense of the Ancients" (DotA),
"Counter Strike", "Football Manager", "FIFA",
"Grand Theft Auto" and "Ninja Gaiden”!
He identifies himself with Ryu
Hayabusa, the cool ninja protagonist from the game: "Ninja Gaiden" as
he feels he exuberates the grace, integrity, honour as well as a tinge of
menace when provoked. Believe it or not, when it comes to life lessons, this
gaming enthusiast even has his own game-inspired philosophy! Just as
communication and teamwork are keys to success in any gameplay, these are also
the two top qualities that that Kendrick values most in life too.
Only with honest expression of thoughts
can conflicts and confusion be reduced and bonds be strengthened. No man is an
island, thus by working as a team, greater things can be achieved. It is this
mantra that kept him strong through the adversities he faced in the recent
course of the competition. And with the support of his brotherhood of fellow
finalists, Kendrick is set to soar to higher levels in the pageantry.
Congratulations on making it as a
finalist on Manhunt Singapore 2013! What was your first reaction when you found
out the good news?
Before the shortlist, I was actually asked to go for an
interview to meet the organizers and share with them what were my aspirations and why I wanted to join
the competition and during the interview, they told me I had a good chance of
getting in as a finalist. So when I received the phone call to inform me that I
got in as a finalist, it ended up not being that big of a surprise, not that
I’m cocky or anything. Ha, ha, ha…
What inspired you to take part in
Manhunt Singapore this year? Do you have any friends from this year's or past
years' competition?
I already did have intentions of
joining the competition earlier on this year. But due to being rather busy and
slightly neglected my workouts at the gym at that time, I was quite hesitant in
taking part as I felt I was not in tip top condition to do so. But with the
encouragement of one of my personal friends, and seeing that I also had friends
(Huang Zhong Xi and Koh Ben Kiong) in the competition to keep me company, I
decided to go for it.
As for friends from past years’
competitions, I know last year’s top three finalists, Jason Chee, Faiz Arifin
and Jonah Goh personally. Beyond that, I don’t really recall any of my other
friends being in earlier years of the competition.
What
do you hope to achieve through your journey on Manhunt Singapore?
I think it would be a good experience
to improve my confidence and pick up tips on better public speaking, as well as
get an idea of where I stand amongst the 15 finalists in this year’s
competition. Also, if things work out, it might be a good opportunity to get
into showbiz and try some acting too.
Besides
Manhunt Singapore 2013, have you any other claims to fame?
I was amongst the batch of finalists in
the very first 8 Days Shirtless Guy Search competition back in 2011, alongside
past year Manhunt competitors like Darren Stephen Lim, Faiz Arifin, Jonah Goh,
Kasbani, Koh Bin, Richmond Ang and Syakir Rusydi. That was my very first
pageant and a really fun experience. Everyone was really there to just have a
great time, and enjoy themselves. So it was more of a casual nature and the
competitiveness was not as serious as it is in an official pageant like Manhunt
Singapore.
In your
opinion, what qualities do you think a Manhunt Singapore winner should possess
as a positive male role model? And do you think you have these qualities?
Good looks
would be a plus, but more importantly, a good sense of humour and down to earth
qualities. In terms of looks, I think I’m a pretty average looking guy, and
yes, I do think I’m quite a humorous and down to earth person.
When did you
first started getting interested in fitness and could you describe your fitness
journey so far?
Probably back when I was in Secondary
3, when I started working out in the gym with my friends. But initially we were
not really serious, just trying out the equipment and weights here and there. I
was actually more into sports, playing soccer and being in the track and field
Unity Secondary School team, representing in the 100m and 200m sprint
categories. My personal motivation for getting more invested in personal
fitness was because as a very skinny and lanky kid, I didn’t like seeing myself
being so small-sized next to the big guys around. So I figured why not start
building up my physique, since I’d look better and it’d help boost my
self-confidence too. That was when I started doing research via books, online
references and even Youtube videos, as well as approaching my friends for
advice and training tips. Fitness to me is a means to an ends in a never-ending
cycle. So now that I’ve gotten this far in my fitness journey, I am also
interested in imparting my skills and knowledge to help others achieve their
fitness goals too, which is why I am now pursuing my current course in Sports
Science. Perhaps I’ll become a personal trainer celebrity? That’d be an
interesting goal to achieve.
Having
achieved your current state of physical fitness, does it bother you if you see
your family or friends who may not be as physically fit and eating unhealthily
or not exercising?
Actually my bunch of personal friends
doesn’t really pay that much attention to their personal diet, and neither do I
to be honest. After all, we are living in Singapore and constantly surrounded
by great tasting food. But I think we still do ok, and make decent food choices
when we eat out.
Besides
working out in the gym, what would you say are some of your other hobbies or
talents?
Fortnightly soccer games with friends,
electronic gaming and cooking would take up most of the rest of my time besides
school, work and the gym. I do mess around the kitchen, cooking up quite a few
dishes, but I’m not sure whether it’s quite up to the standards of being edible
or not, since there’s been no other food test subjects besides me. On the
bright side though, at least I’m still alive and kicking after eating what I’ve
cooked for myself so far right? Ha, ha, ha...
How
strict are you when it comes to your personal diet? What would you say are some
of your "weaknesses" when it comes to sinful food cravings?
I try to
refrain from fried stuff and I abstain from soft drinks, but I do indulge
myself once in a while. Local favourites like chilli crab, black pepper crab,
laksa, chicken rice, as well as Thai cuisine, are just a couple of my favourite
foods.
Which
music artist or bands and songs would you regard as your personal favourites?
I listen to quite a variety of music
actually, so no personal favourite artists so far. But I’d say that out of all
the various music genres, I do tend to favour trance more than the rest. As for
my playlists, they’re mostly one-hour mixes by the likes of Dash Berlin and
Hardwell.
What
kind of movies or TV shows do you enjoy?
I’m quite a fan of zombie shows, since
I do like the violence and gore portrayed onscreen, so naturally I’m a fan of
“The Walking Dead”. I also enjoyed the period gladiator drama “Spartacus”.
Mostly typical shows that guys like, I suppose.
If you were
granted a wish to swap bodies, brains or lives with any famous personality or
celebrity for a day, who would it be and why?
Give me a day in the shoes of the
world’s best soccer player in my opinion – Cristiano Ronaldo. It’d be awesome
just to spend the day living as a professional Real Madrid soccer player, and
I’d take the opportunity to visit Bernabéu Stadium and play a match there!
In your life
thus far, what would you say was the biggest or toughest obstacle or challenge
you have faced? How did you overcome this obstacle and how would you say this
experience affected you?
My family and I went through a really
rough patch back in my teenage years, when my Dad’s business closed down due to
conflicts with his business partner. Seeing him struggle with unemployment, and
our family having to scrimp and save as a result of our financial situation, it
really affected me emotionally. I was 16 and taking my GCE `O’ Levels at that
time, so it could not have been a more stressful situation! We really leaned on
each other for emotional support, stuck together and moved forward facing all
the hardships as a family. It was then that I realized how important my family
is to me.
Being that you're an attractive guy, you must have
your fair share of fans. How comfortable are you having not only female fans
but male fans as well? Have you had any interesting fan encounters so far?
Honestly
speaking, I’m quite all right with having both male and female fans. And with
the exception of a few overly intrusive messages and requests, most of my
supporters are actually very friendly, encouraging and respectful of my
personal boundaries, which I’m very appreciative of.
As
seen on the "Next Top Model" reality series, there seem to be an
unspoken expectation that models, both male and female, should be willing to
accept the challenge of baring themselves in photoshoots in the spirit of
professionalism. How far would you say your personal limits are when it comes
to nudity on a commerical or artistic photoshoot? Or onscreen if you go into
acting?
In my opinion, the general public here
in Singapore is still rather conservative and probably would not be that
receptive to such photography in the short run, as artistic as the photos may
turn out to be. People might even dismiss or put you down for accepting
artistic nude photography as a seedy attempt to further your career, which can
be pretty damaging to your reputation. Moreover, I have to consider the
feelings of my parents as well. As open-minded as they are, I don’t think
they’d be very pleased if I were to expose myself to such a degree on such
photo shoots. But should these personal reservations of mine not exist, I’d
still only give my nod if it was done by a renowned photographer.
There have
been many male and female models and beauty pageant contestants who have gone
on to become stars in the acting world both locally and internationally. In
your personal opinion, do you think models without proper acting training
should take the brave leap into acting based on just their good looks?
Life is after all, a never-ending
journey of continuous learning. Nobody starts off having all the expertise and
knowledge already. Besides, everybody loves watching gorgeous people onscreen.
So if you’ve got the looks and there is an opportunity to enter into showbiz,
why not grab hold of it? You can always adapt and pick up pointers from more
experienced thespians while you’re on the job.
Many
attractive male celebrities often challenge themselves to gain or lose a
drastic amount of weight or even "uglify" themselves to prove they
have more than just good looks and physique to succeed in the entertainment
industry. If you were to venture into acting, how necessary do you think and
how willing will you be to sacrifice your personal physique (which you've
evidently trained hard to achieve) and/or appearance for credibility?
I wouldn’t mind challenging myself to
do so for the sake of fully immersing myself into a role, like how Christian
Bale pushed himself to the extremes in “The Machinist” and the “Batman” film
series. It shows the level of commitment you have towards your craft, and prove
that you’ve got real talent, rather than being just another pretty face in the
industry. Such efforts are usually not in vain, as film audiences tend to be
extremely supportive and appreciative of actors and actresses who go the extra
mile in doing this for their films.
Could
you share with us a lesser-known fact that most others would not have known
about you?
You might consider me as a
“semi-Twihard”, since I’ve finished reading the entire “Twilight” novel series
and quite enjoyed it surprisingly! However, I’m not a fan of the film
adaptations. I saw the first film and thought that it was not that great an
adaptation, so I didn’t bother catching the rest of the film series.
And on an
ending note, what would you like to say to your fans for their support of you?
To all my fans, thank you for
supporting me! I’ll definitely do my best and with any luck, hopefully go far
in this competition. Wish me luck!
Photos Credit:
Beam Artistes Pte Ltd (www.beam.com.sg),Photography by Barry Seah Photography
PPi :: Print | Photography | Ideas
(http://ppideas.wix.com/ppideas
https://www.facebook.com/barry.seahphotography)
The Makeover Inc.
(http://www.themakeoverinc.com.sg/index.htm
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Makeover-Inc/145085108885779),
and Kendrick’s Personal Photos
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