SSG Ahman Ridhwan Bin Dahlan holding his winning trophy with pride.
Meet Staff Sergeant (SSG) Ahmad Ridhwan Bin Dahlan, a section commander of the SCDF’s elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) and one of the recipients of the Home Team Sports and Recreation Association (HTSRA) Merit Award 2020. This award acknowledges SSG Ridhwan’s outstanding contribution as a SCDF Multi-sports Convenor and a competitor who represented SCDF’s cycling team, taking it to the podium for the past four years!
“I was pleasantly surprised to be awarded the HTSRA Merit Award, and I feel very honoured to be recognized for my contribution,” said SSG Ridhwan.
SSG Ridhwan had participated in several public and corporate cycling competitions and he fondly remembered the City 60 Bike-Run Challenge held under the Civil Service Club (CSC) Star Games category. In this competition, each competing team comprised two runners and a cyclist. The relay began with the first runner covering a distance of 7 kilometres (km), followed by the cyclist to race the next 46km, and finally, the second runner to wrap up the remaining 7km of the race.
“I represented SCDF as the main cyclist in the City 60 relay competition. Since 2016, our team has been placed among the top three on the podium. We even emerged as champions from 2017 to 2019!” exclaimed SSG Ridhwan.
The Home Team champions at the City 60 Bike-Run Challenge (SSG Ahmad Ridhwan Bin Dahlan of SCDF in the middle.
Champions for OCBC Cycle Speedway Challenge 2017 and OCBC Cycle Corporate Chase Challenge (2018 & 2019). From left: WO1 Muhammad Yazid Bin Amir, SGT3 Syed Amir Haziq Bin Syed Ahmad Alkugsi, SWO1 Shurahwardi Bin Hussain and SSG Ahmad Ridhwan Bin Dahlan.
When asked about his secrets to winning competitions while keeping a work-life balance, SSG Ridhwan said that he cycles three times a week and would occasionally go for recovery jogs to maintain his stamina and fitness. He also highlighted that having sufficient sleep, proper diet, keeping oneself hydrated and progressive training are necessary for one to be physically ready for any competition.
“On some days, I would cycle from four to six in the morning before duty. If I had to skip my morning training due to my work shift, I would usually cycle for two hours on my off days. During the weekends, especially when a competition is around the corner, I would train harder, cycling over 100km, which took me about four hours in total. On average, I would cycle a distance of at least 250 to 300km per week,” said SSG Ridhwan.
SSG Ahmad Ridhwan in the middle of the race during 2018 Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games (APES) in Mandurah, Australia.
“Cycling is a great way to relieve your stress especially after a long day at work. It is an activity that anyone can pick up to stay healthy. And besides, you can explore a lot of places in Singapore on a bicycle! That’s what I truly love about cycling,” added SSG Ridhwan.
In 2019, SSG Ridhwan was appointed to be a multi-sports convenor for SCDF and a member of HTSRA Duathlon committee, in which he was responsible for managing the SCDF cycling team such as in ensuring they get regular training to prepare for future competitions. SSG Ridhwan is currently preparing to race under the Open Category for the National Championship Team Time Trial and Road Race in 2021.
