SINGAPORE: One of Joseph Schooling’s earliest memories of Joscelin Yeo was a ticking-off for kicking a yoga ball around the Toa Payoh swimming complex gym.
“She pulled me aside and she said: ‘Jo, if you don’t respect the equipment here, get out. You don’t deserve to be here,’” said Singapore’s first and only Olympic gold medallist.
“I was terrified … but now looking back, she probably did me one of the biggest favours. It’s about having those kinds of people to look up to and it’s really cool when they start becoming your peers.”
Years on, Schooling and Yeo shared the stage and joined 19 others on Friday (May 10) as the first inductees in the Singapore Aquatics Hall of Fame.
Launched this year, the hall of fame pays tribute to individuals who have made indelible contributions to the aquatic community in Singapore.
“We will recognise, we will celebrate our most outstanding aquathletes. And also those who have done so much to develop aquatic sports in Singapore – coaches, administrators, sponsors, officials, volunteers,” said Singapore Aquatics legacy council chair Patricia Chan in her speech.
Chan, who has 39 gold medals from the South East Asian Peninsular Games – the predecessor to today’s Southeast Asian Games – also made the Hall of Fame class of 2024.
“The Hall of Fame is where our history flows into our future. It is where we fan the flame of excellence that powers through the waters of Singapore Aquatics,” said Chan.
There were a total of 21 inductees, including five-time Paralympic gold medalist Yip Pin Xiu; teams such as the 1951 Asian Games gold-winning freestyle relay team of Barry Mitchell, Lionel Chee, Neo Chwee Kok and Wiebe Wolters; as well as contributors like water polo coach Kenneth Kee.
“It’s awesome. It’s a step in the right direction. And it’s nice to see familiar faces tonight. It’s always nice to be recognised. It’s always nice to feel appreciated. And it’s also even better to share the stage with my fellow … ex-swimmers,” said Schooling, who retired from competitive swimming in April.
“The hall of fame is quite significant because your legacy is kind of etched in swimming history, at least in Singapore.”
They were presented with their honours by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the guest of honour at a gala fundraising dinner marking Singapore Aquatics’ 85th anniversary.
“The Singapore Aquatics Hall of Fame represents a milestone in our commitment to honour the remarkable contributions of individuals who have shaped Singapore’s aquatic community,” said Singapore Aquatics president Mark Chay.
“We are privileged to recognise all these esteemed figures, whose achievements have left an everlasting mark on our sport.”
Singapore Aquatics also announced that through its fundraising efforts this year, over S$1 million will go towards the development of aquatic sports in Singapore.
The funds will be distributed across four key areas: Grassroots development, high-performance programmes, a general fund for coach and staff development, and development pathways for the five aquatic sports – swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming and open water swimming
“We also hope that the funds raised will serve as a catalyst for our mission to advance the various facets of our sport,” said Chay.
“With these resources, we aim to expand competition and career support opportunities for our athletes and coaches while striving to create better training environments and infrastructure for our sports development.”
