Values Maketh An Athlete

Champions For Others

A simple act of selflessness may go a long way. When they say that actions speak louder than words, here are several Singapore Sports School alumni who walk the talk and role model what being kind and considerate citizens is about and embody the spirit of putting others above themselves.

Extending A Helping Hand

Four bowlers – Aidan Poh, James Stuart Lowe Heng Leong, Jarred Lim Jia Le and Oh Han Qin – departed from Sports School early on 19 April 2017 to compete in the ongoing National School Bowling “A” Division Championships. Their journey to Temasek Club came to a halt along Rifle Range Road, a few hundred metres away from their destination. Alighting from their bus, they noticed that a tree had fallen due to a storm some hours earlier, making the road impassable by vehicles and pedestrians alike. By then, a crowd was starting to build up as members of the public were also headed in the same direction for work. At risk of being disqualified from the competition should they have arrived late, the four IBDP student-athletes acted quickly, creating a tunnel through the branches to allow others to pass through and reach their destination.

For IBDP final year student-athlete Ashley Yong Cheng Wai, it started out as just another bus ride one day in April 2019. However, midway through his journey, he noticed a young boy in the bus looking distressed having missed his bus stop. Ashley, a footballer, extended a helping hand. He contacted the boy’s mother and ensured his safety till his mother arrived.

Touching Community, Touching Lives

Netball Academy engages Fei Yue Family Service Centre in Woodlands for their annual Values in Action project. Going beyond the official partnership with the Fei Yue centre located just 400m away from Sports School, then-IBDP student-athletes Ho Ning, Nur Khalisah Rahiman and Tan Zay Hua regularly volunteered their time to conduct tuition for children attending the learning programme at the centre. The trio have since graduated from the Sports School.

In Isabelle Li Siyun’s case, she found meaning in volunteering at Meet-The-People sessions in the Sembawang GRC. Through these MPS sessions, the Table Tennis Academy alumna derived double the satisfaction as she felt greater connection to the community she lived in, while being a listening ear and offering help in small ways.

Singapore Youth Award nominee Amanda Lim Xiang Qi is one of six members in Team Heartwork. The 18-time gold medallist at the biennial Southeast Asian Games and Sports School Swimming Academy alumna started Heartwork in 2018 to meet societal needs of the underprivileged community in Singapore, ranging from gathering food donations to providing free medical services for the less fortunate.

Another alumna who has started a social initiative is former national hurdler Dipna Lim Prasad. She started In My Shoes to collect and redistribute running shoes to youths who lack access to proper footwear for sport activities. Since its launch in February 2017, she has successfully found owners for more than 1,000 pairs of shoes.