Sophie Jin Wen Soon

Started: She began swimming at age eight but stopped because she did not immediately enjoy the sport. A couple of years later she returned to the pool after receiving personal guidance from a coach. She began competing in the sport at age 15. (Athlete, 22 Aug 2021; straitstimes.com, 02 Dec 2015) Reason: She took up the sport to learn water safety. "What I like about swimming is that it feels like you're almost in a different world. And what I like about the pool is that it's very structured." (Athlete, 22 Aug 2021; Aquafins Facebook page, 08 Mar 2018) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (straitstimes.com, 02 May 2023; themonitor.sg, 31 Jul 2023) Awards: In 2016 she received the Platinum Award for Special Achievement at Nanyang Polytechnic's Student Talent & Achievement Recognition [Star] Awards. (tnp.straitstimes.com, 04 Feb 2016) Additional Info: TOKYO EXPERIENCE She made her Paralympic debut at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, but in her first race - the S13 100m butterfly - her goggles fogged up and she was unable to see the wall at the end of the pool. She was eventually ranked 18th in the event. "Whenever we go for competitions, they always say expect the unexpected. You have a game plan, but things can always go wrong. I remember almost having a full-blown panic attack during the race. My heart rate was going up and I couldn't control my breathing because I was panicking about where the wall was." (pride.kindness.sg, 10 Sep 2021)

Sporting Relatives: Her younger brother Colin has competed in Para swimming for Singapore, including at the 2023 World Championships in Manchester, England. (SportsDeskOnline, 14 Sep 2023; straitstimes.com, 10 Sep 2023)