RISING ABOVE

Just race—these two words ring the loudest when the going gets tough for national para-swimmer Toh Wei Soong. “Don’t think so much. Just race. You have raced before, and you have endured worse. Just trust yourself, and race.”

The 22-year-old athlete was diagnosed with the rare condition of transverse myelitis at the age of two. The condition is caused by the inflammation of the spinal cord, which is a part of the central nervous system sending impulses to the brain and the rest of the body. But his condition didn’t stop him from swimming and going as far as representing Singapore on the world stage.