2023 ST Athlete of the Year nominee: Cherie Tan

Q What are three songs that are meaningful to you?

The Climb by Miley Cyrus.

The lyrics of the whole song are meaningful. It’s about believing in yourself when you face a challenge and the reality that you don’t always succeed. It’s about the journey.

Never Enough by Loren Allred.

Not many people knew that Loren was the singer of this song, and she remained out of the spotlight and was not recognised for a long time. She only got the recognition she deserved when she went on Britain’s Got Talent.

Kill This Love by Blackpink.

It was my strike song during the 2019 Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) Players Championship which I won and it was played every time I registered a strike.

Q A book or quote that you like?

“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.”

There have been times when I feel I delivered a really good shot but the outcome wasn’t a strike, and it caused me to lose a match. It’s at times like these I remind myself of this mantra.

Q Your favourite sporting moment of 2023?

Winning the doubles gold at the International Bowling Federation (IBF) world championships with my sister Daphne last October. We didn’t quite celebrate then as we still had a couple of events to complete.

But after we got back, our parents arranged for a meal with our relatives and we had a feast to celebrate. It was a dream come true after 12 years of trying.

We first paired up in 2011 at the SEA Games and lost the gold medal by seven pins. So we have been aiming to win a gold together ever since.

However, we don’t have many opportunities to pair up. It’s been a total of just five times since 2011. So it was very emotional to win together.

Q What advice you would give your younger self in January 2023?

Be more courageous in trying new things. There were moments when I was debating whether to move or adjust a few steps but decided against it. Looking back, I could have been more courageous in making changes.