Michelle Seah Xin Yi’s journey with sports began at the age of 14 when she took up running as a hobby. She found it provided a much-needed outlet.
“It made me feel relieved and happy as I felt like I was moving and burning off calories,” she shares. Over time, her interests expanded to include cycling and swimming, which helped fuel her growing passion for physical activity.
However, sports slowly became a form of escapism for Michelle and her commitment slowly started to affect her academic life. She often trained late into the night, leaving her exhausted during school hours.
She confesses, “I wasn’t too happy to be forced to go to school and study. I gave up studying and went to class to sleep.”
This led her to eventually fail her O-level examinations. Despite this setback, Michelle’s time at Institute of Technical Education (ITE) became a turning point in her life.
Encouragement from lecturers at ITE helped shape her sense of responsibility and gave her confidence. She recalls, “My experience at ITE made me realise that I could study and get good grades. It also helps me realise that as long as I put in the effort to do something, I could get better at it.”
BALANCING SPORTS AND STUDIES
Excelling in her studies, Michelle gained admission into Republic Polytechnic after graduating from ITE.
There, she found a new sporting passion: Javelin. Since then, Michelle has focused on Javelin and participates in other throwing events such as shot put, discus, and hammer throw for fun.
She explains, “Even though it has affected my studies in the past, sports have taught me how to maintain my current education and given me the strength to continue.”
“Playing sports is like my soul; I could not imagine my life without it.
Her dedication to sports and education continues now at SIM-University of Wollongong where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Psychological Science degree.
Michelle believes her experiences have helped define who she is and shaped her perspective on the importance of education in Singapore. She now balances her studies and training carefully, often using training sessions as a mental break from academics. This balance fuels her creativity and motivation.
“I would usually study first before training. Training has given me the time to rest my brain, and when I return to studying or completing my assignments later, I sometimes come up with better ideas that I could not think of earlier.”
Sport has also become a source of confidence and resilience in her academic life. Presentations, which once made her anxious, are now manageable by using mental techniques she learned through competition.
“During presentations, where I often feel anxious, I would think of throwing a javelin in a competition where everyone is looking at me perform,” Michelle revealed. “I stay calm, focus on the task, and do not get overwhelmed.”
Beyond the physical and mental benefits, Michelle’s sporting journey has required significant sacrifices. From the age of 14, she took up part-time work during school holidays to support her expensive sporting hobbies, such as cycling, which requires costly equipment.
She elaborates, “My sporting hobbies can be expensive—a standard road bike would cost around $1000, not including the other gears.”
To juggle training, work, and studies, Michelle gave up much of her free time and limited her social outings. Luckily, she added, her close friends are understanding and low-maintenance.
“The sacrifice of my free time is worth it, as I can achieve more things while I am studying. When it comes to working full-time in the future, I would not have as much time to do sports competitively. Hence, I want to do it while I can.”
Michelle’s journey has also taught her key life qualities such as patience, determination, resilience, and discipline—traits that are essential both on and off the field.
SPORTS AND ARTISTIC TALENT AWARD
Michelle’s story of resilience and growth has culminated in being honoured with the SIM Sports and Artistic Talent Award. The award is part of the SIM Impact Fund where $6 million has been set aside annually in the form of scholarships and awards for the next decade.
For Michelle, the award represents more than just recognition; it embodies her journey of transformation and hard work.
“It means a lot to me because it’s not just about winning or being the best. It’s about the journey, the effort, the sacrifices. This award reminds me that my hard work—both in school and in sports—has been seen,” she reflects.
As Michelle looks forward to the future, she remains committed to making the most of her time as a student-athlete.
“When it comes to working full-time in the future, I might not have as much time to do sports competitively. So I want to give it my all now, while I can.”
Michelle’s journey is a powerful example of how passion, perseverance, and self-belief can transform challenges into stepping stones for success. Through sports, she has found not only physical strength but also the resilience and confidence to pursue her dreams—on the field and in the classroom.