THIS time last year, Teo Hui Juen's confidence was rock bottom.

None of the javelin thrower's six attempts at the Institute-Varsity-Polytechnic (IVP) Games recorded a distance. Instead, her spear ended up skidding along the grass each time.

It was a demoralising low for the former Raffles Junior College student, who had won the event at the 2007 Schools National Track and Field Championships.

But rather than moping or surrendering to thoughts about giving up the sport, the strong-willed Hui Juen sought help from former coach and current national record-holder Ng Bock Huat.

'I knew I could do better than that, it just wasn't me,' the 20-year-old Hui Juen recalled yesterday.

Despite some initial reluctance from Ng, the second-year National University of Singapore civil engineering undergraduate eventually persuaded him to take her under his wings again.

That was in November. Last Sunday at Gombak Stadium, that move reaped far bigger dividends than she had expected.

Not only did she win the event at this year's IVP Games with her 40.23m effort, but she also surpassed the South-east Asia Games qualifying mark of 39.74m to earn a ticket to the Dec 9-18 event in Laos.

Hui Juen could not have achieved her feat at a better time; the Singapore National Olympic Council has a week left to submit all athletes' nominations to the organisers.

Singapore Athletic Association technical director C. Veeramani said yesterday they were in the process of sending her nomination to the SNOC.

Qualifying for her debut SEA Games caps a seven-year love affair with the javelin for Hui Juen. Actually, it started by accident. As a Secondary 1 student at Raffles Girls', she had wanted to train as a jumper.

'But the teacher-in-charge took one look at me, and said my long arms were more suitable for the javelin,' said Hui Juen, who lives in a condominium in Hougang with her civil servant parents and sister Hui Minn, 15.

Medals at the Schools National Championships followed, and one of her best memories is setting a then-personal best of 37.11m at the 2006 South-east Asia Junior meet in Thailand.

Dreams of donning national colours at the biennial SEA Games followed.

Yet, it could all have been put on hold for another two years if she had not looked for Ng, her coach when she was 16, after last year's disastrous IVP outing.

'He told me my strength wasn't there, and the timing of my javelin release and footwork were not co-ordinated,' said the 1.67m, 65kg athlete. 'I hadn't been training much before last November after finishing my A Levels, so that was probably the reason.'

Plenty of gym work and close attention from Ng during their thrice-weekly sessions followed.

Hui Juen's determination helped, said the 48-year-old Ng, adding: 'There were times when she wanted to train even when she wasn't feeling well and I had to stop her.'

Her distances started to improve, and she achieved a new personal best of 37.41m two months ago.

Then came Sunday's achievement, which has yet to sink in.

She said: 'The SEA Games will be my biggest meet. If I can get a new PB, I'd be more than happy.'

limze@sph.com.sg

'The SEA Games will be my biggest meet. If I can get a new PB, I'd be more than happy.'

TEO HUI JUEN