Yip Pin Xiu is no stranger to adversity. When she was two, she was diagnosed with Charcot Marie Tooth, a form of muscular dystrophy. Her muscles would weaken progressively with age, but that didn’t stop her from becoming one of the most decorated athletes in Singapore. 

“I practice visualisation very often,” says the 28-year-old. “I strongly believe that if I imagined that I would false start and get disqualified, that would actually come true. So it’s important to think positively about your race.” 

At the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships, Yip won the same events that bagged her two gold medals at the Olympics. PHOTO: MARCMORRIS/SPORTSNEWSAGENCY

What has being a Paralympian taught you about overcoming adversity? 

I don’t have this mentality that I face a lot more adversity. My disabilities are just part of my life, I don’t compare it to somebody else. To me, I just have to find another way to do something, even if it’s not the “normal” way. 

For example, people can open a bottle with their hands but it’s a bit harder for me. I may have to use two hands or my mouth, but I still get it done at the end of the day. I always wanted to try everything, and I’d find a way to do it rather than assuming I cannot. 

How did you feel when the Paralympics got postponed?

Honestly, I didn’t feel very affected when I found out it was going to be postponed. I treated it as having one more year to train. What really struck me was the suspension of training during the circuit breaker. These two pieces of news came just a few days apart from each other. 

It was so sudden and I was thinking, “Oh my gosh, what do I do now?”. After a while, I pacified myself by saying that everyone around the world was also facing this difficulty. 

What was the toughest part of the circuit breaker?

I was doing a lot of land-based activities: handcycling, weight training, yoga and basically everything I could possibly do to maintain some fitness. Even then, when training resumed, my fitness and progress had really deteriorated. Because I mostly train alongside able-bodied athletes, when we talked in the changing rooms, I realised they were returning to pre-circuit breaker form a lot faster than I was. 

So, there was some self-doubt about how long I was going to take. Coming back was about working on everything and spending a lot of time to get back to where I was.

Yip trains six days a week, with double training sessions on some days. PHOTO: KNIGHT ONG

Now that you’re able to train again, what is your regimen like?

I train six days a week, with double training sessions on some days. My morning session usually starts at 7.30am. I’d wake up, grab a banana and hit the pool. I train until 9.30am, shower, then eat a proper breakfast for recovery. After that, I can rest before the afternoon session. 

Sometimes I hang out with my friends. I might also see my biomechanist, nutritionist or physiologist before going home to rest. At 3pm, I’m back for a swim or gym session. As we get closer to competitions, we train even more. The OCBC Arena [at the Singapore Sports Hub] is like my second home. 

Do you feel any pressure to defend your gold medal in Tokyo?

I don't, because if I constantly think about that, it’s very pressurising. Over the years, I've learnt to manage this pressure and use it to help instead of stifling me. Focusing on my own performance has been a lot more helpful than worrying about my competitors. As long as I improve every month, and it shows in my timings, I’ll be happy.