People: Laurentia Tan

Laurentia developed celebral palsy and profound deafness after birth, and moved to the United Kingdom with her parents at the age of three. She took up horse riding at age of five as a form of physiotherapy to strengthen her back and her muscles and to build her confidence and self-esteem.

Today, Laurentia is one of Singapore’s most decorated Paralympian, having won two bronze medals at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, and a silver and a bronze medal at the 2012 London Games.

Laurentia Tan is a very admirable woman with a very strong passion for horse riding. I feel that she is a role model to us all and that we should all strive to excel in our studies like how she has excelled in horse riding. Despite her handicap, Laurentia Tan also excelled in her studies, completing her A-levels at the Mary Hare Grammar School, a residential special school for the deaf, and graduating with an honours degree from Oxford Brookes University in hospitality management and tourism. I think that she is a very remarkable person and the success she has achieved is truly an amazing feat. We should all learn from her and stay optimistic and positive when there are ups and downs in life.

Laura Zheng (2L)