At first glance, Tang Pui Wah looks like an ordinary auntie. But the extraordinary story of her life is an inspirational and heart-warming one.
The bubbly 83-year-old is Singapore’s first female Olympian — way before Joseph Schooling won the Little Red Dot our first Olympic gold medal. Pui Wah was the first female Singaporean to qualify for the Helsinki Olympics in 1952, and even before that, the determined sportswoman placed fourth at the 1st Asian Games in New Delhi, India, in 1951.
Coming from a background in school sports, most of what she learned, technique-wise, was self-taught or coached by friends. Pui Wah competed in sporting events like the high jump, long jump, and hurdles with other school athletes, cheekily describing the camaraderie between them as “more fun than the parties today”.
But without a television in those days, Pui Wah had no idea what to expect when she arrived in Helsinki for the 1952 Olympics. “When you are at a grand setting, the feeling is exceptional,” she said. “When we arrived at Helsinki, the first thing to do was to raise our country’s flag. I felt very honored to be able to represent my country. This kind of feeling is priceless.”
Even though she didn’t come home with the gold medal, she gave her best and remains thankful for the opportunity to meet athletes from around the world.
Likening her life to the experience of hurdling, Pui Wah ends her story with a piece of advice for others. “In life, you conquer one hurdle after another. But at the final leg, you have to dash forward,” she explains. “That final moment will be your happiest.”
Find out more about her story below.
