Photo Credit: Lim Weixiang / SNOC
When writers from The Nutgraf were asked to tell the stories of eight of Singapore’s sporting heroes, they weren’t tasked with writing hard-nosed profiles or analytical features. Instead, they were asked to imagine their subjects through the eyes of children.
The result: Singapore's Sports Champions, a new book series launched by the Singapore National Olympic Council to mark SG60.
The series captures the journeys of Loh Kean Yew, Max Maeder, Shanti Pereira, Shannon Tan, Joseph Schooling and the Fandi brothers — not just as athletes, but as dreamers, siblings, and ordinary kids who once stared down challenges of their own.
For the six writers, many of whom are more familiar with politics, culture, or social affairs than sports, the project was a new challenge. “When we interviewed them, their love for the sport, and tremendous sacrifices, often stood out,” they reflected collectively.
“Growing the sports scene in Singapore is important in building values like ruggedness, determination and perseverance, especially in the younger generation. It is important for Singaporeans to have homegrown sporting models to look up to, people like us who have gone through the same challenges and face the same difficult decisions. There is also a great amount of pride in seeing one of our own achieve great success on the regional or global stage.”
Photo Credit: Lim Weixiang / SNOC
The Boy Who Didn’t Like Kitefoiling
When Jaime Niam sat down with Max Maeder, Singapore’s youngest Olympic medallist, she expected to hear about love at first sight with kitefoiling. Instead, Max admitted he hadn’t liked the sport at the start.
“Hearing this from his own mouth humanised him more in my eyes — the fact that he, too, started off rough just like anybody else trying something new for the first time.”
Fast forward years of dedication, and Maeder became a household name after clinching an iconic bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics — fittingly on Singapore’s 59th birthday. With Maeder being 18 years old, Niam wanted readers to understand that pressure and strength aren’t opposites, but coexist — and that very balance is what makes him human.
“He absolutely hates losing, but rather than being a defeatist, it only makes him work harder. Or the fact that when he finished near the bottom of the fleet as a young, inexperienced competitor in his first race, it didn’t stop him from dreaming big and setting his sights on becoming world champion. It’s the combination of his vulnerabilities and his laser focus that makes him both someone people want to root for but also aspire to be,” shared Niam.
“I think my primary goal was to show that Max, as accomplished as he is, is still human. His achievements have been reported extensively in the news, and his image in the media is that of the perfect athlete who just wins, wins, wins. I don’t think most kids can relate to that. That’s why I wanted to reveal his quirks and idiosyncrasies, the relationships he forged, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes that the public may not be privy to.”
Photo Credit: Lim Weixiang / SNOC
Sprinting Through Setbacks
For Chen Jei Min, telling Shanti Pereira’s story meant going beyond her glittering golds, and exploring the person behind Singapore’s Sprint Queen.
“I wanted to show that despite the apparent simplicity of her sport, the journey was anything but simple. To the layman, running is a sport that doesn’t need to be explained. But being a good runner is so much more than simply blazing across the tracks,” shared Chen.
Pereira, an Asian champion in both the 100m and 200m, and the first Singaporean to qualify for the World Athletics Championships on merit, is no doubt a fan favourite. Yet for Chen, what felt most compelling as a writer was highlighting the struggles Shanti faced along the way.
This revealed her ability to recover from setbacks that would have left most people crushed.
"Shanti's never-say-die attitude quickly stood out for me,” said Chen.
“It already seemed incredulous that she lost two scholarships within the span of a week, but what amazed me was her ability to bounce back from it and reach new peaks as an athlete.”
Photo Credit: Lim Weixiang / SNOC
Of Sharks and Swimming Lanes
When Derek Wong typed out the first few lines, he chose an image children would instantly connect with: a shark.
He opened with a vivid scene, recounting the tactic once used by a wide-eyed young Schooling powering up and down the lanes of the pool.
“We were very mindful of writing with the target audience in mind. I felt that the shark anecdote, where young Joseph pretends he is being chased by a Great White Shark to swim faster, would be something that would capture the imagination of children,” Derek said.
Back at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Schooling’s 100m Butterfly final gripped an entire nation. Just 50.39 seconds after the start signal, he carved his place in history — beating the undisputed Michael Phelps and becoming Singapore’s first, and still only, Olympic champion.
With Joseph being a widely covered athlete, Wong needed to find a fresh angle, so he sought out the little-known details from his childhood.
“I wanted very much to focus on his formative years to inspire the next generation. I included his childhood anecdotes such as his up-close encounter with Michael Phelps and his visit to the Beijing 2008 Olympics. I knew of these episodes, but fleshed these out further through an interview with Joseph, asking him how he felt at these key moments. These emotions give great texture to the story,” shared Wong.
“Joseph’s achievements were incredible but it was still important that he was made relatable. Children reading the book may not win an Olympic gold medal one day, but I hope they are inspired by Singapore’s Sports Champions and dream bigger. Heroes like Joseph, who enjoyed chye tow kueh and were once awed by their own superstar idols, are in many ways just like us.”
Photo Credit: Lim Weixiang / SNOC
Golf, Giraffes, and Grit
Puah Rui Xian too had a rather eccentric opening — giraffes wandering across a golf course in Kenya.
Singapore’s Shannon Tan, a golfer in the Ladies’ European tour, experienced a significant milestone in her career at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open 2024 — a tournament that certainly lived up to its name. Its landscape was like a child-like dream, making its description a perfect opening for the children’s book.
“It was her debut event on the Ladies European Tour, and she won. Not only that, giraffes wandered onto the fairway while she was playing her final hole! It seemed like a dramatic place to start, and I thought children would enjoy reading about giraffes,” smiled Puah.
Golf may be a niche sport in Singapore, but Rui Xian simplified its rules with playful analogies — like comparing strokes to sandwich bites. At the heart of her story, though, was Shannon’s love for the game.
“I kept in mind that the focus of the story was Shannon, not golf. Rather than explaining the ins and outs of how golf works, I hoped to interest readers in the sport through Shannon’s journey, which will hopefully inspire them to find out how it works for themselves,” shared Puah.
“Shannon loves golf, and it was important for me to capture that intensity, focus, and drive that come from loving something as much as she does. I also thought it was important to mention those who have supported her along the way, such as her parents.”
Photo Credit: Lim Weixiang / SNOC
The Bond Beyond the Pitch
For Matthew Gan, writing about the Fandi brothers meant balancing three distinct lives while showing the thread that bound them together. Gan wanted to make sure their individualities shone through.
“As sons of a local footballing legend, the brothers have wrestled with comparisons all their lives. Top of my mind while writing about their journeys was to display them in their own merit, as individual footballers who have strived to be, and deserve to be, where they are today,” shared Gan.
“Despite the heavy burden they carry of continuing their father’s legacy, each one of them is their own player, with unique characteristics both on and off the pitch. It was this individuality that I tried to draw out in each of their stories. But football is inseparable from family for the Fandi brothers, so their individual stories are bookended by chapters that detail their deep bond with one another.”
And that bond runs deeper than anything.
“Speaking with each of the Fandi brothers, it was clear that they were more than brothers, but best friends too. During my interview with Ikhsan, he even teared up while recounting how he regularly checks in on and advises the youngest Fandi brother, Iryan, and how he hopes that Iryan will succeed in his footballing career too.”
Photo Credit: Lim Weixiang / SNOC
The Mischief in Badminton
When Claire Lum was tasked with telling Loh Kean Yew’s story, she planned on spotlighting both his serious dedication and his boyish charm — one that has earned him countless fans all over the world.
“It wasn’t too hard, given that part of his beloved personality is his love for badminton and his attitude towards competition. It seemed like the sport suited his penchant for mischief, especially when he was a child; the more you caught your opponents off guard, the better you were at playing. Even now, we see glimpses of that personality on court,” shared Lum.
And it’s true — watch Loh fend off smash after smash, leaving his opponent exasperated, and you might catch the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. In some cases, win or lose a rally, that same playful smile often lingers, etched on his face even through the fatigue.
But what stood out most was Loh’s relentless growth.
“The way he sharpened his instincts, studied his opponents, and even learnt from them during training camps and sessions really highlighted his diligence and dedication to badminton. Knowing the blood, sweat, and tears behind each match makes his wins all the more meaningful and inspiring,” said Lum.
“He writes in his message for the book, ‘Dare to dream and work hard for it!’, and I think that is the essence that I had to capture — no matter the obstacle, Kean Yew never stopped working towards his dreams.”
Photo Credit: Lim Weixiang / SNOC
More Than Just Books
Beyond capturing athletic triumphs, the writers knew they were shaping the next generation’s imagination.
“We hope the books accurately reflect the ups and downs of the Sports Champions and that they spur the next generation of Singaporean athletes to dream bigger,” they shared.
With facilities like the OCBC Arena and OCBC Aquatic Centre open to not only elite athletes, but also members of the public, the writers believe this will spur the interest in sport in Singapore — something they too hope to achieve through their books.
“The premium sporting facilities in Singapore have helped the Singapore Sports Champions in their journeys, and infrastructure like the OCBC Arena and Singapore Sports Hub give these athletes an amazing stage to display their talents before local fans,” shared the writers.
“It is indeed very inspiring for the public to be able to use these same facilities that birthed some of our best athletes, breaking down the barriers between elite and recreational sports. In the same way, our book series also aims to make the hallowed domains of elite sports accessible, by writing these remarkable stories in a way that any child can easily read, enjoy and resonate with.”
Because at the heart of every champion’s story is not just medals and records, but the lesson that even the brightest stars once started from scratch — and kept going.
The six-book collection of Singapore's Sports Champions is available at all major bookstores and online on the Nutgraf website.
