He reasons that most of the struggles we face stem from choices we make - he chose to swim and to face the challenges that come with it. When asked about how he overcame them, he simply advised: “You just have to plunge your feet in and try to weather the struggle that is going to come against you because you’ll realise that you are going to struggle and there is no real escape from it.” ![]() There were certainly moments that took a toll on him, even to the point where he considered giving up. “That fight is an internal one and no one else can fight it for you.” “My greatest challenge has been myself and the idea of pushing myself to get over the emotional, psychological and physical problems that inevitably come alongside growing up,” he expressed. Contrary to expectations, his biggest challenge so far has not been the least bit physical. Just like every other Singaporean athlete his age, he’s had to juggle training sessions, school work, his commitments with swimming and the people that matter to him.ĭespite his physical condition, Wei Soong has never felt that he’s more challenged than other athletes. While Wei Soong has been blessed with endless support from his parents, friends and school, success did not come easy for him. The idea of not swimming is the idea of not going out into the sun – it’s impossible.” “Swimming got so entrenched in my lifestyle that it in itself is a way of life. ![]() That was, until his talent dawned upon him and he realised it was something he could do professionally. Like most people, swimming was just a weekend hobby for Wei Soong. Regardless of whether you can walk or run on land, in swimming you are just about the same as anyone else - you can float.” ![]() “I think swimming, more than most sports, has a great equality of ability, especially for para athletes. Why swimming, of all sports? His answer was enthralling, like the embodiment of water itself. While the initial joy from his first swimming competition kept him going for the next few years, Wei Soong’s love for swimming was deep rooted from the very start. “That experience was what gave me the passion and the drive to say: ‘Yes, this is something I would like to do for the next few years of my life,’” Wei Soong said with so much joy at the prospect of representing his school and doing well for them. Wei Soong represented his school then, Anglo Chinese School (Independent), in the National Para Swimming Championships. It all began with his first swimming competition when he was 13. ![]() It finally came to a point where he started to take swimming more seriously – not as just a recreational sport but something he could do competitively. There were spurts of years when he trained every week and years when he didn’t. He started swimming since the age of one and was even baptised in the pool that same year. Written by germaine leow | photos by singapore national paralympic councilĭiagnosed with Transverse Myelitis, a rare neurological condition caused by the inflammation of the spinal cord which has affected his lower nervous system, Toh Wei Soong, 20, lost the ability to walk at the age of two.ĭespite that, Wei Soong spent most of his life in the water. “It’s true that I can’t play soccer as well or run as fast as others, but they can’t swim as fast.”
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