You just celebrated your 26th birthday. What is your biggest goal for the coming year?
While I have achieved significant milestones in my life, I am aware that there is much more I can accomplish. With the Olympics approaching, the coming year holds great importance for me. My greatest goal is to enjoy the entire preparation process for the Olympics, and work hard every day while enjoying the grind. I want to arrive in Paris knowing that I’ve done everything I possibly can to be the best version of myself, so I’ll have no regrets.

How has being a part of the fashion world changed your views on style? What are some of the most inspiring moments since you embarked on this journey?
I always thought there are these “fashion rules” that you have to follow, and you have to look a certain way. But actually, fashion is about having fun and expressing who you are through your outfit choices. Clothes are there to enhance you, not to change you.

I had the rare opportunity to visit Gabrielle Chanel’s apartment at 31 Rue Cambon in Paris in 2022. She had a lot of personal touches in the apartment. Things that didn’t seem to get along—like lions, Chinese screens with camellia, and sheaves of wheat—somehow all came together nicely. Her apartment decor was reflected in her designs—unconventional yet elegant. I could see and even feel her presence everywhere in the apartment, and it made me feel even more connected to her design philosophy.

Strong female figures have always been a source of inspiration in fashion. Who are your all-time heroines? How have they inspired you throughout your professional and personal journey?
I read The Hunger Games when I was younger and the protagonist Katniss Everdeen immediately became one of my favourite heroines. She is a fearless warrior who will take the first step even when she’s scared. She’s also compassionate and shows a lot of sympathy towards others.

The other person I admire a lot is the one and only Taylor Swift. She fights for what she believes in, like reclaiming her own music. She’s been beating music industry records since her first album, and she’s only continuing to get better. These exceptional females inspire me to step out of my comfort zone and do things despite the presence of fear. More importantly, I need to treat people with respect and treat success with humility.

Being a strong female figure yourself, how do you define strength? What is the most empowering moment you’ve ever experienced?
To me, strength is choosing to get up and keep going even when you’ve fallen. It doesn’t mean you’ll always succeed, but you refuse to give up without a fight.

I met someone who is a mother of two and shared with me their upbringing in a traditional household, where the focus was primarily on education. As they didn’t grow up participating in sports, the idea of letting her own daughters engage in sports wasn’t considered. However, both the mother and her daughter watched my races from [last] year’s World Championship on TV. They witnessed my journey of coming fourth and narrowly missing the podium in the 200-metre freestyle, followed by winning the silver medal in the 100-metre freestyle just two days later. This story inspired them greatly, leading the mother to encourage her daughters to pursue sports. It was an extraordinary and life-changing moment for them.

It seems like a small moment, but moments like this, where I get to inspire the next generation, are very empowering. It feels like I’m just swimming up and down the pool every day, but I don’t realise the impact and positive influence I can have on other people. For the longest time, swimming was just about me chasing my personal goals. But now it carries an additional meaning. Even if I only make a positive impact on just one person, I am still contributing to a small change in our society, and that, to me, is truly empowering.

With the 2024 Olympics approaching, how will you prepare mentally? What are you most looking forward to?
It’s important to be proactive about taking care of myself. With my lifestyle, I travel more than six months of the year for training and competitions. While it’s fun and exciting, it also lacks stability. Sometimes it can feel like I’m losing control, so I learnt to rely on my support system—my family, friends, coaches and teammates. I know I can always count on them to bring me constant support. I really make an effort to keep in touch with people in my circle, whether it’s texting or calling them, because this lifestyle can get lonely sometimes.

I’m excited to see the progress I’ve made since the last Olympics: not just in my swim times, but also in the way I deal with pressure and obstacles. I know I’ve matured over the years as a swimmer and as a person, and I’m excited to see how this growth can benefit me when I’m competing at the most important competition of my life.

You’ve mentioned in the past that you are constantly working on the 1 per cent to improve your performance. What is the 1 per cent that you’re working on outside your training?
I’m working on putting myself first. As a people pleaser, I always want to make sure everyone else is happy, and that I’m causing the least amount of disturbance and taking up the least amount of space. I always feel bad asking for help because I feel like a burden to others. Eventually I realised that I’m the protagonist of my life and I should be putting myself first.

While having other people’s interests in mind is a nice thing to do, sometimes I neglect my own needs. I am now learning to prioritise what is best for me, particularly as I enter this crucial year in my career. This may involve saying “no” to things that don’t benefit me, removing toxic individuals from my life or seeking assistance when needed. I am gradually learning to place myself as a priority so that I can become the best version of myself. It’s not an easy journey, but I just have to love myself 1 per cent more every time.

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