On Board SEA Games
Student Feature: Jae Lim (Fencing), John Wong (Sailing), Rifqah Mursyidah Mistam (Pencak Silat) and Nichelle Tan (Taekwondo)
Jae Lim Jia En
Fencing
Diploma in Business Studies, Year 2
Former School: Pei Tong Primary School
Fencer Jae Lim will represent Singapore in the Women’s Sabre Team Event at the upcoming SEA Games. Previously a competitive basketball player at Pei Tong Primary School, she discovered fencing after attending the Sports School’s Open House and participating in the school’s Learn-to-Fence programme.
“I liked that fencing was a unique sport, something different from what most people knew,” she shared.
Balancing training, competitions, and schoolwork has not been easy, especially with injuries and frequent overseas travel. But she credits the strong support system in Sports School — from teachers who accommodate deadlines to coaches who understand academic needs — for helping her stay focused.
“My experience in Sports School has had its highs and lows, but I’m grateful for the support and opportunities,” she said. Her overseas competition experience helped her gain a sense of gratitude as it opened up her world. “It’s made me appreciate how fortunate I am to be Singaporean.”
Her goal for the Games is to help her team reach the finals and bring home gold. Looking ahead, she hopes to qualify for the individual event at the 2027 SEA Games.
Rifqah Mursyidah Mistam
Pencak Silat
Diploma in Business, Year 2
Former School: Nan Chiau Primary School, Park View Primary School
Rifqah Mursyidah began her pencak silat journey at the age of seven when she joined a community club. What started as a fun activity quickly turned competitive as she excelled in local matches and artistic events. Sharing the sport with her two brothers made it even more meaningful, and her passion grew as she joined the national team and began competing overseas.
Over nearly a decade in the sport, Rifqah has faced challenges, from missing social events to learning about her body, nutrition, and recovery. Despite this, her goal of representing Singapore at the SEA Games and pursuing a long-term career in pencak silat keeps her motivated.
At her debut SEA Games, Rifqah aims for a top-three finish, with her long-term ambition being to compete in the first-ever Olympic pencak silat event, targeted for 2036.
On her debut at SEA Games, Rifqah shared, “Representing Singapore at the SEA Games has always been one of my biggest goals. I also want to build a long-term career in this sport and aim to earn the spexScholarship. Whenever things get tough, I remind myself of how much I’ve already sacrificed for Silat — and that keeps me pushing all the way.”
Rifqah joined Sports School in Secondary 1, inspired by the support her seniors received and the school’s focus on balancing academics and sports. She is grateful for the support in the school, especially the bonds built through boarding life and the guidance from mentors and teachers. Despite challenges from the COVID-19 restrictions, Rifqah credits Sports School for instilling discipline, providing a strong support system, and exposing her to a diverse range of sports and athletes.
John Wong Tze Xiang
Sailing
IBDP, Year 5
Former School: Anglo-Chinese School (Primary), Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)
John Wong joined Sports School mid-stream, transferring from Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) to take advantage of Sports School’s athlete-friendly support, particularly the provision to take up the extended International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, which allowed him to pursue both his studies and high-level sport. Adjusting to a new school environment while maintaining rigorous training was challenging, but John credits Sports School’s supportive teachers and like-minded student-athletes for helping him settle in quickly.
Without a full-time coach, John had to take charge of his own development, planning his training, seeking overseas coaches, and finding sparring partners abroad. In Singapore, he focuses on strength and conditioning to stay competitive. While setbacks like weather disruptions sometimes hinders training, John’s drive to succeed and seize every opportunity keeps him moving forward.
At the upcoming SEA Games, John aims for gold, with his long-term goal being Olympic qualification.
Nichelle Tan Ying Xuan
Taekwondo
Diploma in Business, Year 2
Former School: Woodgrove Primary School, Mayflower Secondary School, Republic Polytechnic (Main Campus)
For Nichelle Tan, Taekwondo has been part of her life since she was just four, when she first stepped into a community club near her home. Over the years, the sport has taught her techniques and instilled values and self-discipline that extend beyond her everyday life.
Her journey hasn’t been without challenges, particularly coping with injuries along the way. Yet, Nichelle draws strength from her goals and the support of her coaches, family, friends, and teammates, which keeps her motivated to push forward.
Nichelle, who also participated in the last SEA Games, is determined to give her best in every match and aims to secure a place in the finals.
Her goals in sport led her to join Sports School as a mid-streamer and transfer student from Republic Polytechnic’s main campus as she sought a better balance between academics and her rigorous training schedule.
With a better balance of sports and studies, Nichelle hopes to win a Asian Games medal and make it to the Olympic Games in the future.
Jae Lim Jia En
Fencing
Diploma in Business Studies, Year 2
Former School: Pei Tong Primary School
Fencer Jae Lim will represent Singapore in the Women’s Sabre Team Event at the upcoming SEA Games. Previously a competitive basketball player at Pei Tong Primary School, she discovered fencing after attending the Sports School’s Open House and participating in the school’s Learn-to-Fence programme.
“I liked that fencing was a unique sport, something different from what most people knew,” she shared.
Balancing training, competitions, and schoolwork has not been easy, especially with injuries and frequent overseas travel. But she credits the strong support system in Sports School — from teachers who accommodate deadlines to coaches who understand academic needs — for helping her stay focused.
“My experience in Sports School has had its highs and lows, but I’m grateful for the support and opportunities,” she said. Her overseas competition experience helped her gain a sense of gratitude as it opened up her world. “It’s made me appreciate how fortunate I am to be Singaporean.”
Her goal for the Games is to help her team reach the finals and bring home gold. Looking ahead, she hopes to qualify for the individual event at the 2027 SEA Games.
Rifqah Mursyidah Mistam
Pencak Silat
Diploma in Business, Year 2
Former School: Nan Chiau Primary School, Park View Primary School
Rifqah Mursyidah began her pencak silat journey at the age of seven when she joined a community club. What started as a fun activity quickly turned competitive as she excelled in local matches and artistic events. Sharing the sport with her two brothers made it even more meaningful, and her passion grew as she joined the national team and began competing overseas.
Over nearly a decade in the sport, Rifqah has faced challenges, from missing social events to learning about her body, nutrition, and recovery. Despite this, her goal of representing Singapore at the SEA Games and pursuing a long-term career in pencak silat keeps her motivated.
At her debut SEA Games, Rifqah aims for a top-three finish, with her long-term ambition being to compete in the first-ever Olympic pencak silat event, targeted for 2036.
On her debut at SEA Games, Rifqah shared, “Representing Singapore at the SEA Games has always been one of my biggest goals. I also want to build a long-term career in this sport and aim to earn the spexScholarship. Whenever things get tough, I remind myself of how much I’ve already sacrificed for Silat — and that keeps me pushing all the way.”
Rifqah joined Sports School in Secondary 1, inspired by the support her seniors received and the school’s focus on balancing academics and sports. She is grateful for the support in the school, especially the bonds built through boarding life and the guidance from mentors and teachers. Despite challenges from the COVID-19 restrictions, Rifqah credits Sports School for instilling discipline, providing a strong support system, and exposing her to a diverse range of sports and athletes.
John Wong Tze Xiang
Sailing
IBDP, Year 5
Former School: Anglo-Chinese School (Primary), Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)
John Wong joined Sports School mid-stream, transferring from Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) to take advantage of Sports School’s athlete-friendly support, particularly the provision to take up the extended International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, which allowed him to pursue both his studies and high-level sport. Adjusting to a new school environment while maintaining rigorous training was challenging, but John credits Sports School’s supportive teachers and like-minded student-athletes for helping him settle in quickly.
Without a full-time coach, John had to take charge of his own development, planning his training, seeking overseas coaches, and finding sparring partners abroad. In Singapore, he focuses on strength and conditioning to stay competitive. While setbacks like weather disruptions sometimes hinders training, John’s drive to succeed and seize every opportunity keeps him moving forward.
At the upcoming SEA Games, John aims for gold, with his long-term goal being Olympic qualification.
Nichelle Tan Ying Xuan
Taekwondo
Diploma in Business, Year 2
Former School: Woodgrove Primary School, Mayflower Secondary School, Republic Polytechnic (Main Campus)
For Nichelle Tan, Taekwondo has been part of her life since she was just four, when she first stepped into a community club near her home. Over the years, the sport has taught her techniques and instilled values and self-discipline that extend beyond her everyday life.
Her journey hasn’t been without challenges, particularly coping with injuries along the way. Yet, Nichelle draws strength from her goals and the support of her coaches, family, friends, and teammates, which keeps her motivated to push forward.
Nichelle, who also participated in the last SEA Games, is determined to give her best in every match and aims to secure a place in the finals.
Her goals in sport led her to join Sports School as a mid-streamer and transfer student from Republic Polytechnic’s main campus as she sought a better balance between academics and her rigorous training schedule.
With a better balance of sports and studies, Nichelle hopes to win a Asian Games medal and make it to the Olympic Games in the future.
- On Board SEA Games
- Coach And Student-Athletes Rally Together On And Off The Table
