Bryston Khai Cheng Lee makes his SUKMA debut in the 1500m freestyle for Sarawak, carrying a Sukan Borneo silver, a 6th-place finish among Southeast Asian swimmers at the Asian Beach Games in Sanya, and national open-water gold into the pool. His approach: race his own race, break the distance into sections, and trust the training.
Bryston Khai Cheng Lee is racing his first SUKMA, but he isn't walking in blind. A silver at Sukan Borneo and a 6th-place finish among Southeast Asian swimmers in the Men's 5km at the Asian Beach Games in Sanya have already put him in open water against fields far older and more experienced than he is. The 1500m freestyle at SUKMA is a different pool, a different distance, but the same lesson applies.
"You don't win by worrying about who's beside you," he said. "No matter where my competitors come from or how strong they are, my job is to stay committed to my own race, trust my preparation, and execute my strategy from start to finish."
Sukan Borneo remains the reference point Bryston keeps returning to. The silver medal there didn't just add to his medal count — it changed how he handles pressure heading into a bigger meet.
"Winning silver at Sukan Borneo gave me confidence and taught me a lot about handling pressure in a major competition," he said. "It reminded me that success comes from trusting the work I've put in every day. Going into SUKMA, I'm focusing on staying calm, executing my race plan, and performing to the best of my ability."
Racing the Men's 5km at the Asian Beach Games in Sanya put Bryston in open water against older, far more seasoned competitors — and he still finished 6th among Southeast Asian swimmers in the field. It's a result he now carries directly into the pool.
He already holds national open-water gold in both the 10km and 1.5km from last year's championships with Swim Art, but he's clear that open water and the SUKMA pool ask for different things. "Open water is unpredictable because of the currents, waves, and race tactics, while the pool is much more controlled and every second matters," he said. "In the 1500m, pacing, turns, and consistency become even more important. Both events are endurance races, but they require different strategies and different ways of thinking."
A handful of swimmers ranked ahead of Bryston nationally aren't at this SUKMA — a detail that changes nothing about how he's approaching the race. "It doesn't change my approach at all," he said. "Every race is different, and I can't control who lines up next to me. My focus is always on swimming my own race, sticking to my race plan, and achieving the best performance I'm capable of. If I do that well, the result will take care of itself."
Over 1500m, that focus has to hold for a long time. Bryston breaks the distance down rather than facing it as one block. "I try not to think about the entire race at once. Instead, I break it down into smaller sections and stay focused on my pace, technique, and breathing," he said. "When the race gets tough, I remind myself to trust the training I've done. Staying patient and mentally composed helps me finish the race strongly."
For a first SUKMA, the occasion isn't lost on him. "Representing Sarawak at my first SUKMA is a huge honour," he said. "It's a privilege to compete for my state at the biggest sporting event in Malaysia. Wearing the Sarawak colours gives me extra motivation, and I'll give everything I have in the pool to make my coaches, teammates, and everyone back home proud."