Singaporean Para archer Nur Syahidah Alim: Creating milestones and changing perceptions one arrow at a time
When Nur Syahidah Alim won two gold medals at the ASEAN Para Games in 2015 on home soil in Singapore, she did not realise what a life-changing event that moment would end up being.
The Para archer broke new ground for her sport in the Southeast Asian island-state: it was the first time Singapore had sent Para archers to any multi-sport event, and yet still finished with two golds, with Syahidah winning in both individual and team events.
"We were fairly underdogs, because it was the first time [Singapore took part in] Para archery in 2015 and there wasn't any expectation in terms of outcome," Syahidah explained, speaking to Olympics.com in an exclusive interview earlier this year.
Syahidah, who has cerebral palsy and competes in the women's compound event, was 30 and had practised the sport for 12 years at that point, but that was the turning point for her.
"I think the achievement [of] getting two golds for Singapore actually gave me that sense of confidence that, hey, I'm pretty good at archery," she recalled.
Syahidah's quick rise from newcomer to world champion
Despite its small size, Singapore has won five Paralympic gold medals in history. All have come in Para swimming through Yip Pin Xiu, while Para equestrian is the only other sport in which Singapore has achieved Paralympic medals.
Syahidah is ready to change that for Para archery, and few would bet against her. Buoyed by her success in the regional Southeast Asian event in 2015, Syahidah decided to go full time as an athlete. She had previously juggled sport with a day job working for Sport Singapore and the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC).
Her rise to the top was quick. She became world number one and in 2019 in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, Syahidah won the women's individual compound open world title, become Singapore's first world Para archery world champion.
"It was surreal," she recalled. "It was actually never expected – our main goal at the time was to actually qualify for Tokyo 2020, and we did that, but to be able to make it all the way to the gold medal match, that was a pretty exciting experience for me.
"I'm happy I was able to make Singapore proud and set that milestone for people to recognise Singapore has one of the ones to watch in Para archery."
How Syahidah aims to "inspire and educate"
Syahidah hopes her successes will help, slowly, change perceptions about adaptive sport in Singapore.
She recalled, as a child, being excluded from school lessons because of her cerebral palsy, which requires her to use a wheelchair.
"[It] makes it a bit difficult for me to move around, walk around, or run around as far as an able-bodied person can, and I'm also not able to stand for too long," she said. "That's why when you see me on the shooting range, in competition, I actually shoot while sitting on a stool.
"I did go to a normal primary school. [At] that time, there wasn't much education on how to deal with students with disabilities, so I was treated the same as everyone else [by teachers].
"I also didn't have that chance to do sports back in the day, because when we had physical education [classes] disability [meant I was] exempt from it."
That led her mother to enrol the young Syahidah for private swimming lessons, and she recalls also playing badminton on the playground with her sister.
"I got to learn more about Para archery through a Disability Sport Expo (run by the SDSC) when I was 18 years old. So I think my journey towards sport was kind of experimental."
And yet, those experiments, from swimming to badminton and finally archery, have led to Syahidah being one of Singapore's top Para athletes with a real shot at a medal at Paris 2024, her third Paralympic Games.
"As [Paralympic] athletes, we have the power to be able to show what we do in our training, in our competitions; to be able to share how things are going," she said of trying to raise awareness of Paralympic sports.
"I think from there, we'll be able to inspire and educate more [of the] public with what we do as a Para athlete."
A special return to Paris for Syahidah Alim
Aside from being her third Paralympic Games experience, Paris 2024 will hold a special meaning for Syahidah, as she returns to a city in which she used to live.
"I'm definitely looking forward to shoot in [the] Paralympics in Paris, to be able to enjoy the experience. I did my [student] exchange program in Paris before and to be able to go back to compete is a wonderful feeling.
"I'm going to have fun. I'm going to do this all for myself and for Singapore and just enjoy the experience."
The 39-year-old is wiser as she heads for her third Games, and will bring changes to her routine as she aims to win a first Paralympic medal.
"I'm going to do my best in terms of my personal best as compared to my last two editions, not only in terms of my shooting performance but most importantly my shooting process and also my mental confidence at the shooting range, shooting line," she said.
"Just enjoy the entire experience and be able to do my best and set another milestone for Singapore, hopefully.
"But most importantly, to be able to inspire Singaporeans with what I'm doing in Paris."