'I am completely overwhelmed': Olympic medallist Max Maeder receives rousing welcome upon return to Singapore

SINGAPORE – The arrival hall at Changi Airport Terminal 3 was busier than usual and crackled with anticipation before dawn on Aug 13 as Singapore welcomed its youngest Olympic medallist, kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder, back home.

Among the close to 60 people that received 17-year-old Maximilian and fellow sailor Ryan Lo, 27, who competed in the men’s dinghy event, were a handful of supporters, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, officials from Singapore Sailing Federation and Sport Singapore and about 20 members of the media. 

Maximilian is Singapore’s youngest Olympic medallist after he finished third in the men’s kite event on Aug 9. His bronze medal came on the same day that Singapore celebrated its 59th year of independence and also ended an eight-year wait to see a Singaporean on an Olympic podium since swimmer Joseph Schooling won gold in 2016.

Most had arrived as early as 5.30am, before Maximilian walked into the arrival hall after his near 13-hour flight from Paris on Singapore Airlines flight SQ335. As the crowd shouted, “Welcome home, Max”, Mr Tong placed a garland around his neck.

“I am completely overwhelmed,” said Maximilian as he puffed his cheeks.

As he obliged to every autograph or wefie request, he remarked: “This is so sweet.”

Fans here had been eager to express their gratitude for the timely birthday gift he had given the nation just days before. Maximilian had made history on Aug 9 by securing a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, putting Singapore firmly on the sporting map. 

Caleb Tan, 6, was one of the young supporters who turned up to receive Maximilian. He carried a self-made poster that read, “I skipped school to see Max Maeder”.

Caleb said he worked on it with his mum. He got more than what he wished for – Maximilian’s autograph on the poster – as he was also hoisted onto the Olympic medallist’s shoulders for photos.

He added: “I was so happy when he won a bronze medal because he tried his best.”

Caleb’s mother Wendy Tan, a 35-year-old financial consultant, said: “Max is an inspiration. He speaks so well on TV and I really liked how he thanks his parents. The respect he has for people is great too and that is important to teach the young kids. I want Caleb to understand that so I took him here to see the man himself.”

A 39-year-old researcher who wanted to be known only as Jean, took her three young kids Serena, 10, Ashton, 7 and Elijah, 5, to welcome Maximilian. 

Jean said: “We watched most of Team Singapore in action as a family, sometimes from highlights if the events start late. We are very excited to be here and it was actually the kids who saw Instagram and told me Max is arriving at this hour today.

“One of the reasons I agreed is because it is such a historic moment to be here and to thank him in person. He has helped young kids realise that as a Singaporean, they can make it to the world stage and that we may be from a little red dot, but we can make a big impact too.” 

Ashton had brought along a piece of paper in hopes of snagging an autograph from Maximilian while Serena was looking to have a photo with the Olympic hero. 

Also present was Afiq Azman. The 31-year-old said he started watching Maximilian only in the final and was here to “soak in the atmosphere”. 

Afiq said: “I knew when it was gearing towards the final that there might be a chance we could get a medal. There was no better storybook ending than Singapore winning a medal on National Day.

“Today is my day off and it is a rare occasion to experience this in Singapore. I am just here to soak in the atmosphere and thank him personally."

ALSO READ: A love for winning and curry puffs: Things to know about Singapore's youngest Olympic medalist Max Maeder

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.