But he considers these sacrifices minor compared with his achievements.
The 30-year-old teacher is elated at being in the Guinness World Records for breaking the highest single-leg standing jump late last month.
The Shah Alam resident took part in the jump on May 23, and five days later his cellphone rang, with representatives from the Guinness World Records congratulating him over the title.
“I was surprised. Emotional. Mixed emotions,” he told FMT.
His single-leg standing jump height of 1.38m broke the previous mark of 1.34m held by an American football player.
“Those who take part are usually top world sports players, but I trained really hard to win this title,” said the six-footer.
Sekhon has been active in sports since he was 14. His love for cricket saw him playing for Kuala Lumpur before representing Malaysia until 2016.
Since last December, Sekhon, who teaches mathematics, has been strengthening his core muscles and legs further to take part in the single-leg standing jump record attempt.
Diet was not an issue for him as he eats oatmeal, an apple and two eggs for breakfast, brown bread sandwich with grilled chicken and vegetables for lunch and pasta or brown rice with grilled fish or chicken for dinner.
“On my birthdays, my family eats the cake. I am strict because I feel it may set me back on what I want to achieve,” he added.
He said keeping his diet simple and healthy helps him to stay focused on his daily exercises.
“I used to eat chocolates once in a while but since I started my standing jump training in December, I stopped eating chocolates, too,” he added.
Sekhon’s morning routine is 20 minutes of yoga and three hours of daily training.
“To break the world record, I have been focusing on strengthening my leg muscles. It was hard and tiring but I refused to give up,” he said.
In a way, the Covid-19 situation has helped him become more focused, he said. Since infections were going up and he teaches from home, he would train after work.
“I took my fitness routine even more seriously and it helped me win the title,” he added.
His next target is to reach for the skies again, this time for the highest double-leg standing jump.
“Training is hard but success is always sweeter,” he added.