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Aero Sutan Aswar: Speed racer
JP/Ika KrismantariDream big and never give up is the winning recipe of Indonesian world jet skiing champion Aero Sutan Aswar
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JP/Ika Krismantari
Dream big and never give up is the winning recipe of Indonesian world jet skiing champion Aero Sutan Aswar.
Aero had always dreamt of becoming a world champion.
'From when I was little, my father always took me to watch international jet ski races, and one day, I told myself I could do better than that,' he told The Jakarta Post in a recent interview.
Aero's childhood dream was fulfilled last year at the Jet Ski World Finals in Arizona, the US, where he snatched the first prize, defeating contestants from other 45 countries.
The title has put him at the top of the list of the world's professional jet ski athletes.
This achievement did not happen instantly. Aero's triumph is a result of years of practice and persistence.
Aero has practiced jet ski since he was two years old. His father, the jet ski racer Saiful Sutan Aswar, introduced him to the sport as well as other adrenaline pumping sports, like go-kart racing and motor cross.
'You know how children are easily bored, that's why my father gave a lot of options,' he said.
Despite having the opportunity to taste all the extreme sports, fate led Aero to the ocean.
He won his first jet ski competition when he was four and since then he was encouraged to improve his skills to win other races.
Aero said that after winning his first competition, Aero started routine practice every week under the guidance of his father.
Aero did not always win, but that did not slow him down. His first international competition was in Singapore in 2005, where he was ranked seventh. Winning or losing, he would still be in training.
The call to go pro came in 2008, when Aero was still 13. 'That was the time when I felt that I needed to win,' he said.
The strong will and hard work bore fruit. Aero became a frequent winner in several international competitions.
He won a gold medal in the 2nd Asian Beach Games in Muscat, Oman, in 2010. He also won a title at the endurance category in Arizona in 2011. At the age of 16, he became the youngest jet ski racer in the pro and grand prix categories.
Aero's achievement led his father to relocate Aero to the US to get him more intensive training.
Aero currently divides his time between Indonesia and the US. Having his entire career and training in the US, Aero also studies at Stanford University with a major in business.
Before winning the World Finals last year, he was ranked in the top three competitors.
The amazing thing from last year's win was that he won the game while he was still injured from previous competition.
'I was injured because I wanted to avoid a crash with another contestant. That was in May and the World Finals was in October, so for the whole season, I was injured,' he said.
The story shows how injury does not stop Aero from winning. 'Most people sees injury as a drawback, it is not actually. Injury is a time given for recovery so we can get back to the race again. I have broken my ribs dozens of times but that's it.'
'It heals, probably not perfect but I will adapt to it. Don't complain over small stuff. You join a race and you win,' he said.
What's next after winning the World Finals?
'I want to win again this year,' said Aero.
This year, he plans to compete in Jet Ski World Cup 2015 in Pattaya, Thailand. He competed there before in 2009 but only won the third place.
'I want to also win this race, because it has different vibe. In Arizona, the race takes place on a lake, but Pattaya, I will race on the ocean,' he said.
Outside the race circuit, many offers and opportunities, some of which are unrelated to his jet ski career, came to him.
Right after winning the 2014 World Finals, he was contacted by Indonesian director Rudi Soedjarwo to star in a movie written based on his remarkable career as a world champion.
It is not clear when the movie will be filmed and released, but Aero is expected to star in it.
When asked about acting, Aero said he was unsure but 'will give it a try'.
Aero has also been appointed as the ambassador for the next 2018 Asian Games by the Indonesian government.
In August, he will fly to Russia to show his skills in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Aero, however, stressed that all this activity would be carried out amid his training schedules.
Nothing seems to matter for Aero, the master of speed, but his performance on a jet ski.
