The inspiring story of Ze Zeng’s golden breakthrough at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand
TRAINING through the pain and adapting to disrupted routines are among the many challenges faced by national figure skater Fang Ze Zeng throughout his sporting career.
However, these difficulties have not stopped the 22-year-old from striving for excellence.
His sacrifice have ultimately paid off, earning him numerous accolades and memorable achievements.
One of the defining moments of his career came during the 2025 SEA Games, where his exquisite performance in the men’s figure skating event secured him a gold medal with an impressive score of 157.22 points.
To uncover the remarkable journey of this promising athlete, theSun brings you the untold story of Ze Zeng’s sacrifices, upbringing, and success.
Q: You seem very passionate about figure skating – could you share in detail how you first fell in love with the sport?
I started skating when I was about eight years old. It was probably during a holiday period where my mother brought me and my sister to an ice skating rink at Sunway Pyramid.
At that time, I found ice skating very interesting (sport) because it was “cold sport”, which is something different compared to basketball or football. It felt very refreshing and unique.
Q: After discovering your passion for the sport at a young age, what motivated you to take the step into becoming a professional?
Figure skating differs from many other sports, as it emphasises not only stamina but also artistry, precision, and technical skill. It is more challenging because athletes need to be flexible, precise, and graceful in their movements. For example, when we jump, we must execute it with elegance.
We also need to maintain good posture and avoid stiffness. This becomes more important depending on the music choice during performance, especially classical tune where a skater needs to have softer movements and expression. In contrast, more upbeat or funky music allows for playful and energetic performances.
Q: After nearly a decade as a professional, you’ve competed internationally against highly experienced opponents – which competition stands out the most to you?
I think the biggest one is the participation in Four Continents Figure Skating Championship, held from January 21 to 25 in Beijing, China which is also one of my biggest achievements.
The event featured skaters from countries including Japan, United States and Mexico, with no age restriction. The experience gave me chance to learn a lot of things from other competitors, including their preparation and warm up routine.
The 2025 SEA Games participation is also memorable because it is a major competition in Southeast Asia level.
Additionally, the 2025 Winter University Games in Turin, Italy stands out, as it brought together student-athletes from all over the world. It gave me valuable exposure and experience.
Q: Having spoken about your proudest moments, what would you say has been the most challenging period of your career?
There are certainly some periods, especially during the 2020 lockdown because I cannot practice on the ice rink. The Movement Control Order (MCO) imposed restricts me from accessing the facilities, thus impacting my routine.
I also faced a major setback when I overtrained in the United States (US) and injured my left groin. I went through that period without having the time to go to hospital because of intensive training session and tight schedule. I can describe the pain as “needles poking”.
Q: Facing those challenges must have been tough – what motivated you to keep pushing forward and remain committed as a professional ice skater?
Competing in major tournaments has always been my goal, so it kept me highly motivated. Next, the sense of accomplishment after executing difficult elements, such as triple axel jump and quadruple toe loop has also kept me going.
I worked very hard on these movements to score high points in competition. I know there are risks behind it, but the results will be worth it.
Q: What role has your family played in supporting you throughout your career?
I can also put my family as main source of motivation because my parents are very, very supportive towards me. They will always ask whether I am okay and never forced me to stay in this sport. They will always be with me and giving me unconditional support, their presence makes me feel more incredible.
For example, if my training session start at 6 am, they will be there. They even wake up earlier to prepare me. Knowing how much they sacrifice makes me want to keep going. Even though they would understand if I chose to quit, I feel that I cannot give up, not after everything they’ve done for me.
READ MORE: Malaysian figure skater Fang Ze Zeng wins gold at SEA Games 2025
