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So, she dug in and swam the race of her life. She touched the wall at almost the same time as Malaysia's Siow.
The naked eye could not tell the difference. The scoreboard did: it reflected 2min 31.96sec for Teo and 2:32.55 for Siow.
'I just remembered what the coach told me and went flat out,' said Teo of her national record-breaking swim, which smashed her 2:33.78 mark set three years ago.
Asked what advice Lim gave, she smiled sheepishly and then said: 'Er... it would not be appropriate to say exactly what he said. But it's along the lines of 'swim with guts'.'
Coupled with the 100m breaststroke title she won on Saturday - also in record time - it marked a glorious meet for the 21-year-old University of California Los Angeles student.
It was the first time she had won the breaststroke double.
The day would get even sweeter for her as she and teammates Shana Lim, Tao Li and Quah Ting Wen won the 4x100 medley relay, clocking 4:13.18 for a new Games record.
It summed up another good day for Singapore in the pool, as they took their total haul to nine golds, three more than second-placed Philippines.
Said Teo, who is competing in her fifth SEA Games: 'I can't say if this is the best SEA Games I've had. But it certainly ranks up there.
'Every SEA Games is different but, because we are such a young team, what we've accomplished so far is really great.'
At 21, it would be hard for anyone to consider her a veteran.
Yet she is the most experienced member of the Singapore team.
She said with a laugh: 'The other girls don't have the number '2' in their age. I feel so old.'
But, with age, comes wisdom and experience.
She says she is a different swimmer than she was two years ago. And most of it is all in the mind.
She said: 'I think I am slightly leaner, but don't ask me how much because I really don't know.
'But it also has a lot to do with how I approach meets.
'I take care of myself better. I rarely fall sick now. And I am able to be more consistent in meets. I am more and more able to turn it on and perform on demand.'
Her results seem to suggest so.
With her two record-breaking swims here, she has broken three national records this year.
She rewrote her own 50m breaststroke mark in August.
She is also ready to assume the 'leadership' role in the team, now that Joscelin Yeo has retired.
After a poor first day, she and other senior swimmers called for a team meeting to get morale up.
She said: 'I respect Jos so much as a swimmer and, from the things I have learnt from her and other seniors, I hope to give so much to the younger ones.'
But she will not be participating in the all-important initiation ceremony for the rookies today, as she will be making her way back to the US for examinations.
She said: 'I would have loved to stay on, but I've got exams on Thursday.
'I still remember my rookie year in 1999. They made me jump off the highest diving platform. I stood there for 30 minutes crying.'
These days, Teo is far from that rookie. At 21, she has come of age. And Singapore swimming is better because of it.
