2024 ST Athlete of the Year nominee Yip Pin Xiu

Q: What do you love about swimming?

I started off loving swimming because it gave me such a huge sense of freedom being in the water. People could not see that I had a disability. I still love being in the water. I still love being able to exercise, being able to get my heart rate very high, being able to be fit and being able to impact so many lives.

Q: In what way does winning become harder?

When the pressure to win is really high and you think about it a lot more than you should be. I think a healthy amount (of thinking) is when you do the right steps to win. The unhealthy amount is just thinking about it and not doing the right steps to get the win.

It has become more challenging over the years, but there are two sides to this. As I get older I’m more equipped to understand the process. But also the more experience I have, the more pressure I put on myself.

Q: How much do you practise?

Practise doesn’t stop. I think it’s also about sustainability, balancing recovery and rest and getting the right amount of intensity into training. There’s always something to work on. If it’s not the stroke, it’s the turn, it’s the start, it’s the stroke rate. There is always something I can improve on and after working on it for so many years I’m still not perfect.

Q: Were you nervous at the 2024 Paris Paralympics?

I think nervous is just a very small emotion to how I was feeling leading up to the Games. There was also joy and happiness, but there was also a lot of stress and tension.

Q: What’s the thrill of being at a Paralympics?

The thrill is like