Angeline’s foray into racing was somewhat of an accident.
After returning from completing her university studies in Australia, a friend invited her for a ‘catch up’ session, which ended up being at the palm oil plantations in the outskirts of Sepang, where the Malaysian Rally Championship was taking place. Besides just catching up, she became the water girl of the team they had come to ‘support’. The team went on to finish 2nd in that leg of the race, they had then good-naturedly joked that she was their ‘good luck charm’ and brought her to participate in a go-kart race at my-kart the following weekend. After a few round of adrenaline pumping and neck-to-neck speed action, Angeline became hooked. She became a member of my-kart and began competing in their monthly races whenever time permitted.
Even though she always had an interest in cars and racing since her childhood years, Angeline’s involvement only grew more substantial when she became involved in the set up of High Performance Challenge (“HPC”) along with a few core members of my-kart. HPC fielded a Lotus Elise MK 1 and finished a creditable 5th in Class and 11th overall, which is no mean feat in a field with more powerful cars from teams that had higher budgets.
In preparation for her race, coach and team principal Brian Eravelly sent her to the Skip Barber Training School in USA to undergo intensive training. Upon graduation, she earned her regional racing license to compete in races under the National Autosports Association (NASA) and Sports Car Association (SCCA) in California.
Armed with this experience, Angeline returned to Malaysia to continue training under HPC instructors Hafidz Fahro Rozi and Gnow Chui Luen, and Malaysian Racing Legend Oh Kah Beng. She also underwent a fitness programme under the guidance of HPC Head instructor Julian Ng. She also participated in an endurance race under my-kart and MAAC, coming in 5th in MAAC and moving up the ranks in the my-kart enduro despite being given substandard karts.
Besides motorsports, Angeline’s other interests include musicals, dance, art and reading. Some notable achievements under her belt include being spotted to join the National Rhythmic Gymnastics Team after just one year of joining the sport at the ripe old age of 13 before dropping out to concentrate on her PMR examinations.
However, she made amends by winning the National Under-21 Wushu Championships after completing her SPM examinations.
She was also in the first all-female lion dance troupe performing before the likes of Dato’ Dr Ling Liong Sik and Dato’ Dr Ng Yen Yen in numerous occasions.
As for performing arts, she has sung before the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir Mohammad at age 8, and travelled to Spain to perform before the King of Spain at 13 with the Operafest Children’s Choir.
She currently works for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Singapore and is a qualified chartered accountant. In her free time (if any), she spends her time rollerblading and just chilling out with friends.
Name: Angeline Ooi
Date of Birth: April 1982
Place of Birth: Kuala Lumpur
Nationality: Malaysian
Education: University of Sydney, Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance.
Angeline’s Quote:
“I was inspired to race in MME this year for two reasons.
We debuted in the 2006 MME with only a small budget and with minimal manpower thanks to friends and friends of friends. No one expected us to do well, but despite all the hiccups along the way and competing in Class A with more powerful cars and with two first time drivers; we still finished a credible 5th.
I think we all felt the withdrawal symptoms last year when we attended the race as spectators and to meet other friends in the paddock, not as competitors. Hence we all wanted to come back in 2008 stronger than ever.
But what really hit me was what a close friend said to me.
As auditors, despite our hectic work schedules, she was constantly going home early to eat the right meals and work out at the gym. She was not a big girl; she was tall and was healthy for her size. However, she wanted to be thinner and slimmer and healthier.
She said this to me: “Angeline, I have been saying that I will lose weight since I was a little girl. I am already 23 years old, if I do not do this now, I will never do it further down the road when time has passed me by.
It was then I decided that if it is to be it is up to me, get my act together and stop procrastinating before it becomes never.
