Last Friday (Aug 30), School of the Arts (SOTA) student Tao Qi had the opportunity to meet 17-year-old Olympic kitefoiling bronze medalist Maximilian Maeder at a school event.
She later took to TikTok to share a photo she took with Max, who posed with his hand hovering politely just above her shoulder.
In Korean showbiz, that pose is known as “manner hand” and is an indicator of having good manners. Of course, Max is known for being well-brought up and having good manners.
When 8days.sg reached out to Tao Qi, the 15-year-old tells us that SOTA had organised a meet-and-greet session on Teacher’s Day and Max was invited as a surprise guest to speak to the school about his sporting experience.
Tao Qi, who is part of the school’s volleyball team and is also into archery, was chosen alongside other student athletes to participate in a small group discussion with Max up-close.
Tao Qi says she did not talk much during the discussion but adds that Max was “very polite” and that she was “super excited” to meet him.
When we ask about his “manner hand” in the photo, she says: “I felt that it was a little awkward when taking the picture, but looking back, his hand placement was a nice gesture. He was quite welcoming with the guy athletes though, which was very sweet.”
Max gave the teens an insight into what his training schedule was like, the competitions he took part in, and the ways in which he dealt with challenges.
“He said he never [thought of] giving up kitefoiling, and it was what he liked since young. He also said he usually has control of his own schedule when it comes to study and training, and that he prioritises getting enough rest,” she says.
Tao Qi found the discussion “enlightening and encouraging”, and really enjoyed hearing about his experience as an Olympian.
“To be honest, I did not know about kitefoiling in the Olympics. I did see many articles on his achievement on Instagram though. After hearing more about him on the news, I started looking up to him, as he is around my age and [already] in the Olympics. As more and more interesting and personal articles on him were published, I thought he’s a pretty cool guy,” she continues.
Isn’t it heartwarming to see Max inspire a new generation of young athletes, who may someday also fly the Singapore flag high?