Jet-setting track star Gladys Chai captures sports action around the globe

This work is originally published by Cahya Mata Sarawak. DayakDaily has been given permission to share this story on our platforms. 

By Martin Yee, Kenny Ee, and Marlynda Meraw

GLADYS Chai Ng Mei is a remarkable figure who has captured the world both on and off the track. Her life has been a harmonious blend of athletic excellence and creative artistry, making her a winner in two very distinctive arenas. She first made her mark as a high jump champion and later as an award-winning photojournalist, a profession she embraced after retiring from sports.

Her journey took a pivotal turn in 1969 when she met her future husband, Rolf von der Laage, a renowned sports journalist and her coach, during an athletics meet in Rangoon, Myanmar. From there, their relationship blossomed, and she eventually became a German citizen following their marriage. It was Rolf who introduced her to photography, a passion she would pursue with fervour after taking her first sports shots at the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran.

Though she had been dabbling in photography as a hobby, it wasn’t until her retirement from athletics in 1979 that she truly immersed herself in this new calling. Gladys found her stride behind the lens, quitting her job as a radio sports reporter at Deutsche Welle to become a professional sports photographer.

She travelled the world, capturing the action at major international events like the International Grand Prix athletics meets, the German Bundesliga, and other global sports competitions. Later in 2006, Gladys was honoured with the German Athletics Association Media Award, having been acknowledged for her 20 years of outstanding work in sports photojournalism.

Originally a Sarawakian, Gladys had already earned a place in Malaysian sports history long before her photography career took off. She was the first female athlete from the Land of the Hornbills to compete in the Munich Olympics in 1972. Her international debut came in 1969, as part of the Malaysian team at the Southeast Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games in Rangoon, where she claimed a bronze medal in the high jump. Four years later, she won two gold medals—one in the high jump and another in the pentathlon—at the SEAP Games in Singapore.

A defining moment in her life occurred in 1971, when she travelled to Cologne, Germany, for a training camp organised by Rolf in preparation for the 1972 Munich Olympics. At just 18 years old, she was thrust into the world of elite athletics. However, her Olympic debut in the pentathlon was cut short by injuries, forcing her to withdraw midway through the competition.

Undeterred, she bounced back in 1974, winning a silver medal at the Asian Games in Tehran. Gladys continued to dominate the Malaysian high jump scene, holding the national record of 1.73m (5ft 8.11ins) for 17 years. She also excelled in the pentathlon, a new event she added to her impressive repertoire.

Born in Kampung Cina, Serian in 1953, Gladys had no idea as a young girl that her school days would spark a career that would take her around the world. Her sports journey began when her school’s sports master, Pang Chia Sui, introduced her to Joseph Lee Gut Hing, a Sarawak coach who taught her the straddle technique in the high jump, long before the Fosbury Flop became the standard in the 1970s. By 1964, she had already become the first woman in Sarawak to break the five-foot barrier in the high jump and was undefeated at the Borneo Games.

Competing in the Olympics was a pinnacle in her athletic career, an experience she cherished despite the injuries that hampered her performance.

“The Olympics was a good experience and a great adventure,” she recalled. “I was proud to have represented my country.”

Her accolades did not stop there. In 1974, she became the first Malaysian to compete in the high jump at the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she placed fifth with a height of 1.70m (5ft 6.929 ins). That same year, she was named Malaysian Sportswoman of the Year.

Gladys often reminisced about the golden era of athletics in Sarawak during the 1960s, when the Jubilee Ground would be packed with spectators eager to watch local meets.

“For me, it was all thrill and excitement,” she said. “That was motivation enough to do well.” She lamented the fact that athletics no longer draws the same crowds, particularly in Sarawak, though in Europe, where she currently lives, sports continue to thrive.

“Sports is totally different now,” she remarked. “Gone are the days when we did everything on our own like we did in the 60s and 70s.”

Sports have not only shaped her life but have given her the chance to see the world, meet new people, and engage with athletes from all corners of the globe.

“I guess you could say I’m blessed,” she reflected, “to have realised my dreams, first as an athlete and later as a photojournalist, with the opportunity to witness world sports events like athletics, football, and ice hockey.”

Though she has travelled extensively, Gladys still misses Sarawak deeply. “There are no feelings like being at home. And Sarawak is still my home.” She takes every opportunity to visit, for, as she says, “it is where the heart is.”

For Gladys, life has indeed come full circle. From the high jump pits of Sarawak to the photography pits of global sports events, her journey has been nothing short of extraordinary—fulfilling, adventurous, and truly a life well-lived. –DayakDaily

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