Making Every Move Count
Student Feature: Yvette Chong
Yvette Chong’s journey in the pool began during her early school years. “When I was in kindergarten, I had swimming lessons, and I really enjoyed them,” she recalls. By Primary 1, she was exploring both rhythmic gymnastics and artistic swimming. By Primary 2, she decided to focus solely on artistic swimming, drawn to the sport’s combination of gymnastics and swimming.
Her competitive career officially began at age eight, and her drive has only grown since. Last year, in 2025, she joined the Singapore Sports School, recognising the need for support to maintain a high-performance training schedule — something few other schools could accommodate. “Sports School has helped me in so many ways, from extending assignment deadlines to working around my schooling and swimming schedules,” Yvette says. “My mentors and support staff always treat me with kindness and respect, and I never fail to look for them when I need help.”
SEA Games 2025 marked a milestone in her career. Yvette earned gold in the Duet Free event alongside her veteran partner and alumna Debbie Soh, and silver in the Team event. The pressure was high as expectations weighed heavily. “I wanted to make everyone who came before me, alongside me, and those who supported me proud,” she shares. Training with Debbie, who has a decade’s experience ahead of her, proved invaluable. “Debbie’s advice to me was ‘hope for the best but prepare for the worst.’ It helped me understand that while striving for excellence, I must always be prepared for anything — injuries, setbacks, or surprises.”
The partnership between Yvette and Debbie also taught her the art of compromise. “In a duet, you have to balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We sometimes disagree, but we always work it out respectfully. Mutual respect and kindness are essential.”
Yvette credits her support network — family, friends, mentors, and even her dog — for helping her navigate the mental challenges of high performance sport. “It’s tough to balance academics, training, and personal problems. Training can feel like a chore sometimes. But the people around me kept me going day after day.”
Yvette admits that managing mental health can be challenging, but seeking help from her coach, family, and a psychologist has made a difference.
A typical day during SEA Games preparation is intense: morning duet practice, a midday break, gym training in the evening, followed by a pool session that lasts until night. Yvette also uses visualisation, warm clothing, and a short prayer to prepare mentally and physically before each routine.
Her achievements at the SEA Games were particularly meaningful. “The Duet Free routine was the highest difficulty routine I’d done that season, and it was clean. It was also my first Major Games medal, and it being gold made it even sweeter,” she says.
Looking ahead, Yvette aims to continue breaking personal bests at World Cup stops this year and hopes to win bronze in the Asian Games in the duet event. She is also focused on improving her artistic impression, learning from top teams such as Spain’s world-renowned squad. “I’ve learnt that any movement can be beautiful as long as you mean it. I want to tell a story with my routines, not just perform actions.”
Yvette Chong’s journey in the pool began during her early school years. “When I was in kindergarten, I had swimming lessons, and I really enjoyed them,” she recalls. By Primary 1, she was exploring both rhythmic gymnastics and artistic swimming. By Primary 2, she decided to focus solely on artistic swimming, drawn to the sport’s combination of gymnastics and swimming.
Her competitive career officially began at age eight, and her drive has only grown since. Last year, in 2025, she joined the Singapore Sports School, recognising the need for support to maintain a high-performance training schedule — something few other schools could accommodate. “Sports School has helped me in so many ways, from extending assignment deadlines to working around my schooling and swimming schedules,” Yvette says. “My mentors and support staff always treat me with kindness and respect, and I never fail to look for them when I need help.”
SEA Games 2025 marked a milestone in her career. Yvette earned gold in the Duet Free event alongside her veteran partner and alumna Debbie Soh, and silver in the Team event. The pressure was high as expectations weighed heavily. “I wanted to make everyone who came before me, alongside me, and those who supported me proud,” she shares. Training with Debbie, who has a decade’s experience ahead of her, proved invaluable. “Debbie’s advice to me was ‘hope for the best but prepare for the worst.’ It helped me understand that while striving for excellence, I must always be prepared for anything — injuries, setbacks, or surprises.”
The partnership between Yvette and Debbie also taught her the art of compromise. “In a duet, you have to balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We sometimes disagree, but we always work it out respectfully. Mutual respect and kindness are essential.”
Yvette credits her support network — family, friends, mentors, and even her dog — for helping her navigate the mental challenges of high performance sport. “It’s tough to balance academics, training, and personal problems. Training can feel like a chore sometimes. But the people around me kept me going day after day.”
Yvette admits that managing mental health can be challenging, but seeking help from her coach, family, and a psychologist has made a difference.
A typical day during SEA Games preparation is intense: morning duet practice, a midday break, gym training in the evening, followed by a pool session that lasts until night. Yvette also uses visualisation, warm clothing, and a short prayer to prepare mentally and physically before each routine.
Her achievements at the SEA Games were particularly meaningful. “The Duet Free routine was the highest difficulty routine I’d done that season, and it was clean. It was also my first Major Games medal, and it being gold made it even sweeter,” she says.
Looking ahead, Yvette aims to continue breaking personal bests at World Cup stops this year and hopes to win bronze in the Asian Games in the duet event. She is also focused on improving her artistic impression, learning from top teams such as Spain’s world-renowned squad. “I’ve learnt that any movement can be beautiful as long as you mean it. I want to tell a story with my routines, not just perform actions.”
- Making Every Move Count