From Parents to Parents - Mark Lorenzo

Sport Is The Key Ingredient For Family Bonding

Written by Veronica Lee Wan Ling

This article is part of Active Parents’ From Parents to Parents series, brought to you in collaboration with Republic Polytechnic, School of Management and Communication. 

“This is the moment, son. Go for it!”

Mark Angelo Lorenzo glistened with pride when his 6-year-old son, Marcus, master a difficult Muay Thai kick just after a few months of training. It was a triumphant day for the Lorenzo family as they celebrated his small feat of achievement.

Marcus' interest in the sport came from his father.

“I love playing sport, especially basketball and Muay Thai,” 37-year-old Mark smiled as he shared his profound passion. “Growing up in the Philippines, I started playing the number one sport – Basketball – with my friends in elementary years. For Muay Thai, I came across it in my early 20s and it was for self-defence. Eventually, it became a force of habit where my body would crave for it.”

Upon raising a family here in Singapore, Mark introduced Marcus to the sport he loves, as a way to spend meaningful time together and build a closer father-child bond. They would spend their weekends at a basketball court or Muay Thai gym, but their routine came to a halt when their favourite spots were closed temporarily due to the pandemic.

“We made adjustments and built a small basketball court at home so I could still train Marcus in skills such as dribbling,” Mark chuckled as he shared how he transformed his living room into a mini gym by using an affordable portable basketball hoop that he sourced online.

Mark believes that it is possible for Singaporeans to build stronger relationships with their families despite the restrictions by “being creative in making the activities as fun as possible” so that “both the parents and kids are able to enjoy them”.