SINGAPORE — As national para swimmer Theresa Goh wheeled herself to the starting blocks of Barra’s Olympic Aquatic Stadium on Monday morning (Sept 12, Singapore time), the butterflies were fluttering in her stomach as her mind flashed back to the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, when Goh came agonisingly close to a medal in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB4. She had finished fourth then, less than a second off the bronze medal time of 2:01.25.

She also remembered the years of hurt and pain it had taken for her to be in Rio de Janeiro, in what was possibly her fourth and final outing at the world’s biggest stage for para sports.

And the 29-year-old needed no further motivation as she took the plunge into the pool. Swimming the race of her life, Goh stormed to an early lead in the first 25m of the breastroke final, but soon found herself being hunted down by Norway’s world champion Sarah Louise Rung and Giulia Ghiretti of Italy. With Rung (1:44.94) and Ghiretti (1:50.58) eventually powering past the Singaporean to clinch the top two spots, Goh held on to win the bronze medal in her time of 1:55.55.

Goh told TODAY that nerves had kept her awake the night before the race, as she said: “I was nervous for three months, and I just could not sleep.

“Now, I feel really ecstatic. I feel on top of the world, and I feel like nothing can bring me down. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me in the past years, and I feel like it (my perseverance) has all paid off.

While Goh has been in scintillating form in Rio after clocking a new Asian record time of 1:54.50 in the heats on Sunday night, the swimmer had only recently rediscovered her passion and drive for the sport after a rollercoaster period from 2009 to 2012 that saw her notching “pretty stagnant” results.

Goh confessed that she had wanted to bail out a few times during her 17-year career, but her strong support network comprising new coach Mick Massey, sports scientists, family and friends kept her going. Her five-gold triumph at last year’s Asean Para Games also reignited her fire to win her first medal at the Games.

“My times have really been improving, and I think I am a different swimmer now” she said.

“Whatever I’ve done in my races this year, or during training, it was with a lot more passion and a lot more fire. It has really been a long journey, but I think this has made it all worth it.

“It just has been a lot of people behind me, and believing in me, and I’m really lucky to have them believe me so much - even more so than I believe in myself.”

And there was no one happier to witness Goh’s bronze medal win on Monday than her best friend and teammate Yip Pin Xiu. Yip’s Instagram photo of the duo’s emotional embrace pool-side in Rio has been a huge hit online and in her post on Monday, Yip - who won gold in the women’s 100m backstroke S2 on Friday - said: “The world doesn’t need to see my ugly crying face. But the world needs to know how proud I am of you.

“You finally did it. You are now a Paralympic medallist after 17 years of training and perseverance. Nobody knows our journey like us, and I am so incredibly proud of you.”

 

The world doesn't need to see my ugly crying face (yours is really well hidden). But the world needs to know how proud I am of you. You finally did it. You freaking did it. You are now a Paralympic medalist after 17 years of training and perseverance. Nobody knows our journey like us and I am so incredibly proud of you. ❤️ #oneteamsg #rioparalympics #rio2016 #tearsofjoy #bothsobbing PC: Hwee Koon

A photo posted by Yip Pin Xiu (@yippinxiu) on Sep 11, 2016 at 7:14pm PDT

With four days of swimming action still on the cards, Singaporean fans will be looking to cheer on both athletes in the pool. Goh is pencilled in for the 50m and 100m freestyle S5, while Yip will feature in the 50m backstroke S2 on Friday.

The Games may not be done and dusted yet, but to Massey, his swimmers are already big winners here. “The thing that makes the girls such outstanding swimmers are really their qualities,” he added.

“Theresa is without doubt the one I call a lion heart. She has got the drive, the power and the ambition. Pin Xiu is a magnificent athlete...she is the one with the brains.

“They have different sets of qualities, but together, they are a formidable Team Singapore partnership.”

PM LEE CONGRATULATES GOH

“Congratulations to Theresa Goh for her bronze medal win at the 100m breaststroke SB4 final at the Rio2016 Paralympics! This is Team Singapore’s second medal at the Games.

“Theresa was the first Singapore swimmer to compete at the Paralympics - in 2004 in Athens. This well-deserved medal is her first at the Games. It is a fitting addition to the many other medals that she has won for Singapore at international competitions over the years.

“Well done and thank you for being an inspiration, leading by example and showing us how hard work and perseverance pays off! Keep up the good work Team Singapore, we are cheering for all of you!” - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong