By June Cheong

Ezzy Wang, 43

• The Singaporean is a manager at American International Assurance Company.
• His right leg was amputated in June 1999 after he was diagnosed with synovial chondromatosis, a joint disorder.
• The Run For Hope 2009 champion shaved an hour off his personal best of 2 1/2 hours for a 10km run at Run For Hope in November last year.
• He weighs 60kg and is 1.76m tall.
• He is married to Fifi Siow, 45, a marketing executive. The couple have no children.
• EXERCISE REGIMEN: Swimming 40 laps every day, brisk walking or running two to three times a week

What do you do to keep fit?

Swimming has been part of my regimen since I started working out three years ago and I now swim 40 laps every day. Jogging (with my elbow crutches) is also part of my workout.

Swimming best suits a disabled person like me because it does not apply pressure on any part of the body. Perspiring from a 4km jog makes me feel relaxed.

What is your secret to looking so fabulous?

A regular workout plus sufficient sleep rejuvenate me. I also believe in thinking and speaking in a positive manner.

Has there ever been a time when you were not fit and fab?

Yes, when I was in my mid-20s and working as a financial service consultant. I had irregular meals and a habit of late-night snacking after work. My weight surged from 60kg to 85kg in just nine months.

I decided I wanted to be fit and set a goal of reaching my desired weight. I stopped snacking, changed my diet to one comprising vegetables and non-fat, high-protein and high-fibre foods. I began exercising too.

What is your diet like?

I kickstart my day with a large and nutritious breakfast. I usually eat a salad comprising two clusters of red and green oak leaves, a handful of Japanese cucumbers, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, black seedless grapes and baby carrots.

I eat the salad without any dressing to preserve its freshness and the rich fibre. I also eat two slices of organic wholemeal walnut bread with one rice cake, a slice of wholemeal banana cake baked without any butter or margarine and a cup of non-fat yogurt.

Lunch is almost like breakfast except that I don't eat any wholemeal bread, banana cake or rice cake. I have home-cooked food for dinner.

What are your indulgences?

I occasionally snack on sinful things like pastries and drink coffee and tea.

Do you count your calories?

No, I don't deliberately do that but I select the foods that I eat carefully.

Do you take supplements?

Yes. I take glucosamine and chondroitin to promote joint flexibility, calcium to maintain and improve bone density, an antioxidant to provide immune support and a vitamin supplement for key nutrients missing in my daily diet.

What is your sleep routine like?

Sleep is and has always been the key to rejuvenating myself for work the next day. It is vital for me to have eight to 10 hours of sleep.

How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance?

After a full day's work, I do a 40-lap swim to work out the stress.

What do you do to relax?

If I'm not working out, I usually lie in a cosy corner of my home and watch movies with my wife.

What are the three most important things in your life?

My family, working out and having a healthy mind, body and soul. My family provides me with unconditional support, which I can find nowhere else. Working out enables me to stay healthy and fit and keep illness at bay.

A healthy mind, body and soul are important because how your body behaves or appears is determined by what you think.

Would you go for plastic surgery?

Only if it is necessary and performed by a skilled surgeon.

Do you think you are sexy?

I feel sexy every time I finish my daily 40-lap swim.

junec@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times.