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Running is likeMarmite, you either love it or hate
it.
MatthewBarsing
loves it, and soon discovered
that there aremany out therewho love it asmuch
as he does.
ReubenMiranda
grills themanwho
has inadvertently, through his personal desire to
transformhimself, disrupted the normof running
clubswith his
KLCCRunners
group.
L
et
me give you a little tip. If
you are ever feeling down or
a bit lethargic, track down
Matthew Barsing and have
a chat with with him. This
man’s enthusiasm is infectious and soon
has you feeling on top of the world.
He has an easy smile and glows
with vitality and health. His passion for
running, and life in general, comes across
as soon as you start talking to him, as
does his genuineness.
On The Road To Running
Barsing, an Australian, arrived in Malay-
sia in 2001 for what was to have been a 10
day holiday. “I came for a holiday, loved
the country, and never went back,” he
said. He stayed in Port Dickson for three
months and it was there that his personal
transformation journey began in earnest.
While there, he lost 20kg through diet,
The
Running Man
exercise and running. He
got married in 2003 and
started a family soon
after.
Fast forward to 2012.
After years of being in the
corporate sector, this was the year that
Barsing “started helping people.” A
Friday drinks session at a bar in 2012
was the pivotal point that led him on
the road that he is on now. He and two
close friends decided that it was time
for them to get fit and they made a bet:
The first one to lose 10kg within a month
would win.
On that fateful Sunday morning, the
weigh-in shocked Barsing. He recalls
looking at the scales and thinking, “what
have I been doing with my life?” It
was that point that he committed to a
healthier lifestyle and started watching
his diet and running at the park at KLCC
e v e r y d a y .
This is where the name
for his group, KLCC Runners,
materialised. He won the bet, by
the way.
An Open Book
Barsing initially started KLCC Runners
group for himself and his friends from
the gym that he worked out at. He set
up a running event for the ‘Car Free
Sunday’, and sent out invitations through
his Facebook postings. His first KLCC
Runners event drew two people. The
second … 420.
Whatever your fitness
levels or goals are, KLCC
Runners will welcome you
Barsing ... “I came for a
holiday, loved the country
and never went back.”