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Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Why retire when you can reinvent your life in your 50s: Here are two courses to try
Writer Stephanie Yeo (centre) practises catwalking while taking off her jacket during Platinum Angels Management's modelling atelier course for women over 50. SINGAPORE – At 55, my mother was retired and helping to care for my baby. Now that I am that age, the 'R' word is not in my vocabulary. Why prepare to retire when you can reinvent yourself? After all, Gen Xers like myself – born from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s – are not just living longer than our parents, but we are also better educated, and more health-conscious, well travelled and tech-savvy. With the retirement and re-employment ages being raised to 65 and 70 respectively by 2030, young seniors like myself theoretically have a longer career runway now. However, a significant number are leaving the workforce before 65, with many doing so in their 50s, said Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Manpower, at the Committee of Supply debate in Parliament in March 2025. While the labour force participation rate stands at 86 per cent for those aged 50 to 54, it falls to 67.9 per cent for those aged 60 to 64, which Dr Koh termed a 'stark decrease of about 18 percentage points'. Their reasons for doing so are varied, he explained. 'Some wish to slow down and focus on family or personal commitments. Others have not worked for some time and may need to refresh their skills to return to the workforce.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Asia Death toll climbs as Thai-Cambodia clashes continue despite calls for ceasefire Asia Behind deadly Thai-Cambodian clashes, a bitter spat between two dynastic leaders Multimedia Lights dimmed at South-east Asia's scam hub but 'pig butchering' continues Singapore Black belt in taekwondo, grade 8 in piano: S'pore teen excels despite condition that limits movements Asia Where's Jho Low? Looking for 1MDB fugitive in Shanghai's luxury estate Life SG60 F&B icons: Honouring 14 heritage brands that have never lost their charm Business How parents can prevent disputes over their properties Dr Koh is co-chairing a Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment, which also involves the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employers Federation. It will look at policy recommendations to keep senior workers employed. In the light of recent policies to delay retirement, today's young seniors are likely to stay in the workforce longer, which would bolster their savings, although age bias is a challenge some will face, says Dr Kelvin Tan Cheng Kian, head of the Minor in Applied Ageing Studies programme in the Singapore University of Social Sciences' S R Nathan School of Human Development. 'Gen Xers don't want to be 'cancelled' by the younger generations. After all, they have coped with constant changes and disruptions, having lived through a number of crises in their lives, such as the crash of the late 1990s, Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in the early 2000s, the 2008 financial crisis, Covid-19 and more,' Dr Tan adds. 'Staying healthy and being mentally active will be a constant inspiration for them.' Like me, many Gen X individuals have spent their lives being the dependable ones who always get things done. Midlife is thus ripe for reinvention, a second adulthood where we get to explore the dreams we had swept under the mat while busy building our careers and families. Upskilling courses for over 50s are plentiful, but what we also need is a way to reflect on what we want, reframe our life's purpose and recalibrate our next steps to get it. What are the often unconscious self-limiting beliefs that hold us back at work and in life? With that thought in mind, I check out two courses targeting midlifers like myself. One is a career guidance workshop linked to a best-selling book, and the other is a modelling course for women over 50. Assess, reframe, prototype Fomo (fear of missing out) grips me when I fail to enrol in a new career guidance workshop called Designing Your Life: The Next Chapter. The pilot run started in May 2025 with an aim to reach about 1,000 people, but it is so popular that I cannot get a place in any of the June or July weekly sessions and am wait-listed. Run by Republic Polytechnic and the Designing Your Life Institute in partnership with Workforce Singapore (WSG), the two-day course is free and open to Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 50 and up. Register your interest for the August and September intakes at The non-profit local institute, which started in 2023, adapted Stanford University's Life Design Lab – which teaches students to design thinking for life and career decisions – and the best-selling 2016 book Designing Your Life: How To Build A Well-Lived, Joyful Life, by Stanford academics Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, for its Next Chapter course. Says Mr Brandon Lee, WSG's assistant chief executive of its Transformation Support Group: 'Many experienced PMETs expressed that they are eager to continue contributing their expertise in the workforce and are actively seeking ways to extend their careers in ways that align with their preferences and lifestyle needs. However, they faced challenges in figuring out what options they could take to continue their later-stage careers.' Participants learn to develop a personal compass by articulating their beliefs about life and meaningful work, then evaluate how they can distribute their time and energy to design a more fulfilling rhythm, says Mr Joshua Hong, deputy director of Republic Polytechnic. They also create three different five-year life scenarios, called Odyssey Plans, to uncover hidden aspirations and engage in prototyping conversations where they plan small, low-risk experiments to test their ideas, before finalising a Design Action Plan. Trainers follow up about a week later with small-group mentoring sessions. What makes the workshop distinctive is its use of interactive learning and radical collaboration, which involves a high level of openness and trust, says Mr Mark Wee, executive director of Designing Your Life Institute. Ms Sharon Mah (centre), 50, a life design facilitator, leading a sharing circle at a Designing Your Life: The Next Chapter workshop. With her are participants (from left) Adele Chng, 50; Frankie Chong, 53; Richard Goh, 70; and Josephine Lye, 55. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Mr Lee says feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with more than half of the participants, aged 50 to 70, exploring project-based, part-time and fractional work which will allow them to balance family time, volunteering and interests like travel. WSG is considering rolling out more of such workshops, he adds. 'Many arrived carrying invisible weight: questions about identity, fears about relevance, uncertainty about what's next,' says Mr Wee. 'Yet, within hours, something shifted. When given permission to slow down, connect with their values and reimagine the future – they lit up. People who hadn't dreamt in a long time began sketching bold new paths. They realised they weren't alone. Around each table, strangers became sounding boards, cheerleaders, collaborators.' When I attend the last part of one of the workshops in late June, I witness strong camaraderie among the 25 participants who banter like old friends and share actionable steps they intend to take after the programme. Mr Ben Wong, 54, a business development adviser in a sports technology company, says the workshop gave him a good framework to follow as he was unsure about how to transition his career after a major heart attack in 2023. 'The other participants also gave me a new perspective on what I wanted to do initially, which was coaching. They had really good input because they come from different backgrounds.' It is this shared experience that makes the book – which I had read earlier in 2025 and put aside because the exercises overwhelmed me – come alive because you are not doing it alone. I cannot wait to get a slot and start designing my next chapter. Strike a pose, reclaim your story The modelling atelier for women over 50 that I attend in late May could not be more different from the Designing Your Life course, although both develop the soft skills that seniors may lack. Instead of a classroom, I find myself in a mirrored dance studio in Middle Road with seven other women. Singaporean former supermodel Pat Kraal, 63, starts by inviting us to introduce ourselves. 'Here, we are proud of our age,' she says. That statement sets the tone for the four-day programme she runs for Platinum Angels Management, the first in Asia to represent models, talents and celebrities over the age of 50. The agency launched it in June 2024 after it received a 'surge' of modelling applicants with no previous experience in doing casting calls and needed to teach them the fundamentals. It has since discovered over 40 talents with the atelier, which is conducted several times a year when Kraal, who is based in France, is in town. The next run is in August or September 2025 and interested women can contact the agency at It costs $800 and includes five classes of two to three hours, covering different styles of catwalking, posing and posture, and casting insights, skincare, make-up, social media and styling. The sixth class is graduation day, when participants showcase all they have learnt. 'Every participant brings her unique story and strength. Some are navigating difficult life transitions, divorces, illnesses or caregiving challenges, while others are rediscovering their confidence after years of putting themselves last,' says Kraal, the agency's managing director. She has tried to offer a similar course for men, but there were few takers. She leads the catwalking and casting insights class herself and says the course has attracted women in their 50s to 70s over its six batches. Some hold modelling aspirations, while others want to build their confidence. Former supermodel Pat Kraal (centre, in green shirt), managing director of Platinum Angels Management, teaching participants of the agency's modelling atelier how to pose. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH The atelier participants in my batch, who range from corporate warriors to homemakers aged 52 to 65, talk about how they want to learn something new and have fun while at it. 'I want to do something for myself,' says a retiree in her early 60s as everyone nods in agreement. The catwalk segment is the most stressful because I hardly wear heels these days and struggle to turn halfway down the catwalk, but Kraal takes us through our paces with kind firmness. Do your household chores in heels to practise over the weekend, she instructs. Learning about skincare, cosmetics and styling for our changing needs is eye-opening. After applying make-up the same way for 30 years, I finally discover how to work around droopy eyelids, wrinkles and sagging skin. I skip the social media module, but my classmates who are less familiar with it say it is enlightening. All of our instructors are women over 50, which I appreciate. We all feel the jitters as we line up to do a couple of group catwalks for the judges on the last day, who include Kraal, the agency's co-founder Brandon Barker, and Mrs Elizabeth Wong, co-founder of Rexults Group, which offers aesthetic and wellness services. Next, we are called in individually to pitch a product during a mock casting call. Mine turns out to be jewellery and I try to show three different moods – proud, peaceful and graceful – while trying to recall the brand's tagline, which I stumble over. The agency then takes photos for each model's comp card, which lists her personal information and measurements. These are sent to prospective clients, who may ask us to come down for a casting call. Mayhem breaks out once the day is over as we scream and hug over how much we have accomplished, and make TikTok videos to commemorate our journey from strangers to friends. At $800, the modelling atelier is a splurge, but it gives me a palpable boost of confidence I did not know I needed, especially after menopause. I know how to walk taller, do my make-up better and wear more flattering clothes – small details that can make a huge difference to how a woman carries herself. More importantly, I find a new tribe of gal pals whose zest for life is infectious. I admire their willingness to put themselves out there and chase their dreams, while always being supportive of one another. Hardly the competitive modelling environment that mass media hypes up. 'After the first course, I realised it was doing far more than just teaching modelling. It was transforming lives. The women came out standing taller, both literally and emotionally,' says Kraal, who has been moved by the resilience of participants, such as a cancer warrior who never missed a class even though she was undergoing treatment. 'Another woman, going through a painful divorce, told me after her first runway walk, 'I never imagined I could feel this powerful again.' 'Moments like these show that modelling here is about much more than appearances. It is about reclaiming your story and stepping forward with grace and confidence.'
Straits Times
16-07-2025
- Straits Times
Straits Times journalists win four Singapore Press Club awards
Find out what's new on ST website and app. (From left) ST's senior correspondent Stephanie Yeo, correspondent Ang Qing, digital graphics journalist Charlene Chua and tech editor Irene Tham with their Singapore Press Club awards. SINGAPORE - When a bank customer urgently applied for a 'kill switch' to freeze all his funds but still lost $3,000 in unauthorised transfers, Straits Times tech editor Irene Tham wanted to know what went wrong. She started digging into how the bank customer's funds later got transferred to an unknown overseas account, and found there was a key issue: There is no uniform definition of a kill switch in Singapore. She wrote a commentary on Dec 16, 2024 that shone a light on the little-known issue, and argued for a review of Giro top-ups for e-wallets. On July 16, Ms Tham, 51, was one of four winners from the national broadsheet to receive a Singapore Press Club award. She bagged the inaugural IBM-Singapore Press Club Tech Journalism award for her work. Ms Tham, who has been a journalist for more than 20 years, said: 'A common misconception people have about tech reporters is that we play with cool gadgets. 'Tech journalism exists at the intersection of multiple disciplines, requiring the promises and perils of new developments to be contextualised and explained for everyone.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 600 Telegram groups in Singapore selling, advertising vapes removed by HSA Singapore 2 weeks' jail for man caught smuggling over 1,800 vapes and pods into Singapore Singapore Jail for man who fatally hit his daughter, 2, while driving van without licence Singapore Primary 1 registration: 38 primary schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2A Singapore ComfortDelGro to introduce new taxi cancellation, waiting fee policy Singapore Here comes the sun: Less rain, more warm days in second half of July Singapore Instead of overcomplicating COE system, Govt has ensured affordable transport for all: SM Lee to Jamus Lim Singapore Baby died after mum took abortion pills and gave birth in toilet; coroner records an open verdict Straits Times editor Jaime Ho said: 'Each award, each instance of recognition for our work is never taken for granted. We are encouraged, and will take these awards as encouragement to do even better.' Another winner from The Straits Times newsroom was senior correspondent Stephanie Yeo, 55, who took home the inaugural Abbott-Singapore Press Club Health Journalism award for her reports, such as ' Is Singapore ready for the menopause wave from a super ageing society? ' published on Jan 13, 2024. The Singapore Press Club, in a statement, said: 'It raised issues that have been under-reported - half of Singapore women in their reproductive years have poor sexual function, and how many women aren't aware of problems caused by menopause. 'These are topics few Asian women would be comfortable discussing, and are seldom aired in public.' Ms Yeo said: 'Women's health has always been underserved and under-resourced, but more experts, entrepreneur and advocates are now working hard to change that.' Straits Times correspondent Ang Qing, 28, won the CDL-Singapore Press Club Sustainability Journalism award. She also helped conceptualise and host the award-winning podcast Green Trails , which was named best podcast at the World Association of News Publishers' Digital Media Awards Asia this year. Ms Ang, whose reporting focuses on environmental issues, said: 'These stories are often untold, not because they aren't important but because it takes effort to get inaccessible sources to provide information. 'They also involve people or things that lack the power to have their voices heard.' Straits Times digital graphics journalist Charlene Chua, 27, took home The Rising Stars - Young Digital Journalist award. The Singapore Press Club said: 'Whether she is visualising how TikTok affects body image or mapping 100 years of the Causeway , Charlene builds stories that feel alive on screen.' Veteran journalist and former Straits Times deputy editor Alan John, 71, was among 10 journalists who were inducted into the Singapore Media Industry Hall of Fame. Mr John said: 'To tell great stories, you have to work hard, do the legwork, meet real people and live with the critics out there. It's what I still say to the young writers and editors I train.' Straits Times senior columnist Vikram Khanna, 69, and former Straits Times features and news editor Lulin Reutens were also inducted into the Hall of Fame at a ceremony where Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo was the guest of honour. The annual awards - launched to mark the Singapore Press Clubs' 50th anniversary in 2022 - are given out to recognise journalists and professionals in the industry who have done impactful and excellent work. Each award comes with a two-night hotel stay for two, with breakfast, worth $1,000, at any property under the Millennium Hotels and Resorts banner. Other winners at the ceremony, held at the Pan-Pacific Hotel, included Nikkei Asia's Singapore correspondent Dylan Loh, and Mediacorp producer Charmaine Tan.
Straits Times
11-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Muscular mum marked 50th birthday with bikini photo shoot, then joins bodybuilding contest for 1st time
Stephanie Yeo The Straits Times May 10, 2025 On April 26, 2025, Ms Mayda Jutahkiti stood backstage at Kreta Ayer People's Theatre, in a sequinned red bikini on five-inch heels, her well-honed muscles gleaming under spray-tanned skin. She had practised her bodybuilding poses to perfection over the last four months with her coach. But performing under the bright stage lights and in front of an audience was quite another thing. "When they called my name and I first stepped on the stage, my legs turned to jelly," she says, recalling how she walked onstage mincingly to avoid falling. Ms Jutahkiti was not just a first-timer in the women's bikini novice category at the Physique & Muscle War 2025 bodybuilding competition. At age 50, the mother of two was 21 years older than her only competitor, aged 29, who went on to win in the category. She was also the only competitor in the women's bikini masters 40+ category. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, most of the female participants in Physique & Muscle War were aged below 35, says Ms Sabrina Ang, chief executive of Fitness Movement, which has been holding fitness modelling and bodybuilding competitions for the past 11 years. Since 2023, she has seen a few participants above age 40, including a 60-year-old. 2025's event had four registered female entrants across all age categories. As more midlife women are now working out, Ms Ang hopes to see "significant growth" in the event in the next two to three years. Ms Jutahkiti's bodybuilding journey grew out of her frustrations with the sudden and inexplicable changes she experienced in 2023, including brain fog, mood swings, low energy, disrupted sleep and anxiety. "It was frustrating because I'd always been able to push through challenges, but this felt different - like I was losing control of my own body and emotions, to the point where I was suffering from anxiety and mild depression," says the managing director of public relations firm Elliot & Co. Ms Jutahkiti takes her surname from her Thai father, who is now a Singaporean. After much research, she realised she was experiencing perimenopause, the sometimes tumultuous transition years before a woman's periods stop completely. Strength training kept coming up in her research as one of the best ways to manage her physical and mental symptoms, so the former casual gym user started hitting the weights regularly. She also joined an online programme by The Wonder Women, a US-based coaching firm specialising in midlife women. Buoyed by the results she saw in her changing physique and mental well-being, she marked her 50th birthday in August 2024 with a bikini photo shoot. "Strength training gave me focus, structure and a renewed sense of purpose. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was regaining control - not just of my body, but also of my identity," she says. Why not join a competition, her friends suggested. That piqued her curiosity and gave her a goal to work towards. She chose the April contest as it was a local event and suited her schedule. Ms Jutahkiti started what bodybuilders call the "prep" stage in mid-January 2025 just before Chinese New Year, which proved to be "quite tough and rigorous", she recalls. Bodybuilders go through a bulking or "build" phase, where they put on muscle, followed by a "cut" phase, where they exercise and go on a careful diet to lose fat without losing too much muscle. It is the cut phase that allows the muscles to become more defined for competition. In addition to her existing 60-minute, five-times-a-week strength training regimen, she added low-intensity cardio, which at one point amounted to 70 minutes daily. A typical meal for her then comprised about 120g of either chicken breast or barramundi (usually air-fried), 80g of cooked zucchini or spinach, and either sweet potatoes or white rice of between 50g and 100g, depending on her carbohydrate allowance for that day. Her company's flexible work arrangements allowed her to fit in her training before or after work, or during pockets of free time. As a midlifer, Ms Jutahkiti had to work harder to build muscle, make sure she had adequate recovery and forgo social outings because of her strict diet. "Mentally, there's that self-doubt too. It's not very common for women to be bodybuilding. In the gym, people would ask me: 'Why are you working so hard? Women don't need to build muscle'," she says. Her daughter, aged 22, who is studying in an Australian university, put her doubts and worries to rest. "She said: 'You have to wear a bikini. Otherwise, how are you going to show off the muscles and all the hard work you have put in?' My kids understood that it was not a flesh parade," she says. Her husband, aged 52, who works in logistics, and their son, aged 18, lent their moral support through the tough training months and cheered her on during the event. "My son said after the event: 'Congratulations, mum. I know it wasn't easy'," Ms Jutahkiti recalls. With the encouragement of her coach and family, she has registered for a bigger competition in Johor Bahru in two weeks' time for the experience, since she is still in peak physical condition. Ms Jutahkiti says her bodybuilding journey has helped her model resilience, discipline and self-belief to her children. "If I practise self-love and self-care, and I can overcome perimenopause and feel good about myself, I am demonstrating something to my kids as well as becoming a better mum because I'm physically, mentally and emotionally in a better state," she says. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on: Share this article Show Comments
