1. Tell us more about yourself and your volleyball life.

I am currently a financial consultant with an independent financial advisory firm. One of the greatest joys in my profession is building relationships with people from all walks of lives. Similarly in volleyball, I enjoy not just the adrenaline from competing but also the friendships forged and memories created.

I started this journey by chance as volleyball was the only sport CCA for girls in Pei Cai Secondary School at that time. It turned out to be the best thing for me. After representing the school in various national competitions, I was selected to join the combined schools squad at 16. I also represented the nation in the 2004 13th South-East Asian Women Junior Championships held in Singapore where we won a silver medal. Unfortunately the national women’s team was disbanded the following year. I continued to compete in the bi-annual ASEAN University Games. It was until 2012 when the National Women’s team was once again formed and I was fortunate to train under Coach Narita, in preparation for the 28th edition of the SEA Games. The podium finish in 2015 was a precious moment for not just me and the team but everyone who love this game!

Volleyball has been a very big part of my life and I’m very grateful for how the sport has shaped me into who I am and values such as teamwork, resilience and perseverance.

2. What are you doing to contribute to volleyball in Singapore?

I stopped playing competitively in 2017 when the Women’s team was, disappointingly not selected for the 29th SEA games in KL, Malaysia. I continued to contribute by “converting” to a trainer/ assistant coach for the Singapore National National Women’s team.

In late 2018, I decided to return to competitive volleyball and rejoined the National Women’s team as I hope to share my experiences with the younger generation of players. This is how I feel I can contribute to the Women’s National Team during the “twilight” years of competitive volleyball. To be honest, I do miss the adrenaline on the court when playing competitively, but it has also been challenging returning to competitive volleyball after taking a break in 2017.

3. What will you do to encourage more volleyballers to contribute in their own ways, to give back to the sport?

Having been part of the Singapore volleyball fraternity since I was 13, I would really like to see Singapore Volleyball progress. Playing for the nation has always been a dream for me and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to do so. The pride and honour is immense!

I hope that younger players aspire to wear the national flag on their chest one day, and that they work hard and seize the opportunities to fulfill that aspiration. At the same time, I hope that the whole fraternity can be aligned to help volleyball progress at the grassroots/ community level, which will set the cornerstone for Singapore Volleyball to do well regionally and internationally. I am hopeful with the new VAS Council, consisting of many ex-players and ex-internationals, who are passionate about Singapore Volleyball, will also help to chart the progress of Singapore Volleyball in the near future. I will encourage student-players to keep playing even after they graduate, join clubs (and there are plenty around), and get involved in the grassroots level competitions. A more vibrant scene will definitely help to elevate the development of the sport in Singapore.