Tatler Weekend Malaysia: How Datuk Nicol David is setting up future champions for success
Editor’s note
A company I worked for had an unwritten hiring rule: any Olympic medalist could walk in and be given a job. The logic was simple—if someone had excelled in one field, they would likely succeed in others too. Striving for excellence is a transferable skill. As a result, I saw former champion swimmers, theatre artists, and even Air Force pilots thriving there. As our lifespans extend, employees will need to consider roles beyond their core fields, and employers will need to be more open to accepting talent from other disciplines. In this Tatler Weekend, we profile two extraordinary women who provided immense value to society in their second innings.
It’s Diwali season—my favourite festival. My understanding of Diwali has deepened over the years. Born into a Sikh household, my journey began with a simple curiosity: What does Diwali mean for Sikhs? This curiosity blossomed into a lifelong cultural exploration, which I’m excited to share with you in our Editor’s pick this week.
Happy Diwali and enjoy Tatler Weekend!
Parminder Singh
Parminder Singh
Chief Operating Officer
Meet Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, the ballerina who brought ballet to the people
Lisa Macuja-Elizalde was the first Filipina to dance on Russia’s grandest stages. But her greatest performance has been at home, building a legacy of dance
There’s a moment every dancer knows: standing at the barre, heart racing, ready to leap into the unknown. For Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, that moment didn’t come on a Manila stage. It came in St Petersburg, thousands of miles from home, when she became the first foreign soloist at Kirov Ballet (now Mariinsky)—one of Russia’s most revered institutions. She was young, at an age when most ballerinas were still working their way up the ranks, eyes hopeful, muscles aching for a chance to be noticed. But the world stage arrived early for her.
More from Tatler: Prima on pointe: Lisa Macuja-Elizalde brings Ballet Manila’s Greatest Hits to Malaysia
Her first full-length Nutcracker at 19 was more than just a personal milestone. It was a statement: that a Filipina could dance on the grandest stages and hold her own among the world’s best. It was followed by her first full-length Don Quixote and Giselle. And when she stepped into the role of the Swan Queen in Swan Lake—a part she mastered in just four days for a performance in Cuba in 1991—it was clear she wasn’t just a talented dancer. She was a force, one who could move between fragility and power with utmost grace.
Shaping legends: Datuk Nicol David is shifting her sports legacy to empower tomorrow’s athletes and their families
World squash icon and founder of Nicol David Organisation Datuk Nicol David is setting up future champions for success by uplifting the most important women in their lives: their mothers
The World Economic Forum estimates that addressing the gaps in women’s health can potentially boost the global economy by at least US$1 trillion by 2040. The message is clear: give a woman access to well-rounded healthcare that takes her needs and those of her family into consideration, and her participation in the economy adds growth and prosperity to the entire world. Helping just one woman creates a ripple effect that includes a better life for her parents, her children, her community and, ultimately, all of society.
This is a need that former squash World No 1 champion Datuk Nicol Ann David quickly recognised while training future squash athletes through the Little Legends programme as part of her non-profit organisation, the Nicol David Organisation (NDO).
What defines a good cup of coffee, according to coffee experts
Tatler Dining speaks to experts, baristas, and roasters on everything that goes into making a good cup of coffee
Wake up, brush your teeth, coffee. We’ve got our morning ritual down to a tee. For us coffee drinkers, that daily cup of joe anchors our mornings, sparking the first burst of energy to kick off the morning right. Some drink it for practicality, others to appreciate its aromas and flavours, but regardless, it is a quintessential stronghold of our mornings.
Coffee is no exclusive ritual, casual sippers and dedicated aficionados consider coffee an indispensable daily indulgence, but do we have the artillery of knowledge to match? As we go through the motions of enjoying our morning cuppa every day, how do we know if the coffee we are drinking is good? Here’s how to tell, according to these industry experts.
Beyond lights and sweets: My complicated love affair with Diwali
Festivals like Diwali resemble ever-flowing rivers, meandering through centuries and gathering stories and legends along their course
Festival of Lights, the triumph of good over evil, and a harbinger of prosperity.
These are phrases commonly used to describe Diwali, also known as Deepavali, celebrated by over a billion people in multiple countries. For me, Diwali over the years has also meant self-discovery, cultural immersion, and jalebis—an Indian treat that laughs in the face of blood sugar levels!
For those unfamiliar, jalebi is not for the faint-hearted. Deep-fried to a golden yellow, shaped like a pretzel, and drenched in sugar syrup, this treat should come with a “don’t try this at home” warning for those who closely monitor their glucose levels.
Although eating jalebis on Diwali is a cherished family tradition for us, the origins of this custom remain a mystery. It might be rooted in deep cultural significance, or perhaps it was simply decreed by a sweet-toothed ancestor. In my younger days, when I was convinced of my own invincibility, Diwali was reason enough to devour ten of these sweet treats in one sitting. Now, I wisely cap my indulgence at around four.
Read more: Deepavali 2024: The 5 best mithai boxes in Singapore to gift your loved ones
