Max Maeder makes good on promise to serve curry puffs after Young World Sailor of the Year win

Fresh off being named the first Singaporean male Young World Sailor of the Year, Maximilian Maeder celebrated his win by serving curry puffs to fans at Soon Soon Huat Curry Puff at East Coast Road on Thursday (Nov 7).
The 18-year-old had previously promised to work a day selling curry puffs if he won the award, which was determined half by public voting, and half by the World Sailing’s panel experts.
The win came following his Olympic bronze medal at Paris 2024 and nine other titles, including the world, European, and Asian championships.
An energetic Maeder showed up bright and early before the shop opened, dressed in a Soon Soon Huat T-shirt. After a staff briefing, doors were opened at 7.30am to customers who had already formed a line. Some fans even brought paraphernalia for him to sign.
“I absolutely adore curry puffs,” Maeder told the media. “We come here often… it’s so nice of them to let me do this.”
Several customers said it was refreshing to see the young athlete taking orders behind the counter.
Foo Zee Zou, 15, told CNA she had come especially to see Maeder, whom she had been a fan of since his Olympic win.
“It feels a bit surreal to see an Olympic medallist doing something so down to earth, that everyday people can do. It makes me feel like we’re not that different, actually,” she said. “As an athlete myself, I feel very inspired by his achievements, and how he’s achieved so much for Singapore. I feel motivated to work even harder in my sport and to push myself to my limits so that I can achieve great things too.”
Another customer who didn’t want to be named said it was “nice to see how young people (want) to be part of the culture here”.
Maeder described his first experience working at the front of a store as “very lively” and “lots of fun”. “I hope I didn’t make too many mistakes and I was more of a help than a burden,” he said.
As for whether competitive sailing or hawking curry puffs is more difficult, he said, “I think that’s undecided – it’s only my first day!”
There was a steady stream of customers queuing up for their snacks since the shop opened and Maeder told CNA that he probably served up to 150-200 customers since he started his “shift” this morning.
Soon Soon Huat Curry Puff boss Tay Mui Lan gave Maeder a good report. “Max is doing well. No wrong orders, very stable,” she said, adding, “He’s drawn a lot of attention.”
The Katong curry puff shop also surprised him with a special curry puff with his name on it.
Maeder’s mother, Hwee Keng, told CNA that the family have been visiting Soon Soon Huat for curry puffs for many years. Maeder had initially wanted to make the curry puffs himself, but didn’t manage to get certified for food hygiene in time, so he settled for serving them instead.
After his curry puff shift, Maeder will head back to training, with a camp in Perth lined up for mid-November as he continues to push forward in his sailing career.