From Hariss Harun’s Lions armband to Amanda Lim’s van: Items that define S’pore athletes’ 2025 season

Jasmine Ser (shooting) 

I bought this last year after moving in (to my house in Wagga Wagga, Australia), thinking that the plants can thrive in it easily. It didn’t turn out the way I wanted, I didn’t know how to prune or maintain the plants, and most of the plants died before the season ended. So this season, I went to do research and watch videos on how to grow bok choy, tomatoes and other herbs, gave it more care and pruned them regularly, and now the plants are thriving in the greenhouse.

I never had time back in Singapore to do gardening, and can now understand why sister enjoys it, it’s therapeutic. The plants can’t talk to you, but they can show you what they are going through, you then give them the care they require and they continue to thrive. Gardening teaches patience. Experience comes with practice. Never try, never know.

I couldn’t train much this year, and preparations for the SEA Games weren’t the same as the previous editions. I had to rely on my past experiences, and my muscle memory for it. The greenhouse kept me grounded in the present moment, as I waited patiently for the seedlings to emerge, for the tomato plant to bear fruit. They said, “control the controllables”. That’s what I did.

Jovin Tan (boccia)

Dyeing my hair bold colours like red or hot pink has come to define my year – and in many ways, my sporting journey.

This habit started years ago when I was competing in sailing. As someone who cannot swim, having brightly coloured hair allowed my coach to easily identify me on the water, especially in the event I fall overboard. What began as a practical safety measure gradually became something much more meaningful.

Over time, the bright colours gave me a sense of confidence and presence. They reminded me that I could still stand out and belong in competitive sport, despite my limitations.

Today, three years into my boccia journey, I continue this tradition. Whenever I have a major competition or special sporting occasion, I dye my hair again – a personal ritual that signals belief, courage and readiness. It helps me step into each arena feeling confident, visible and unapologetically myself.

Theresa Goh (para-shooting)

I chose an air pistol soft toy because it quietly marks a return I did not expect. This year, I started competing in shooting, and the surprise was not learning a new sport, but wanting to compete again at all. The soft toy sits lightly, almost playfully, yet represents something serious: Proof that I am still able to learn a completely new skill, struggle with it and grow into it.

Shooting has challenged me in unfamiliar ways. Unlike my years in swimming, when I had the privilege of training full-time, I am now balancing training with work. Progress is slower and energy more carefully rationed. But that shift has given me perspective. I now have a deeper, first-hand appreciation for Team Singapore athletes who juggle careers and training daily, while still pursuing excellence with quiet resilience.

What has stayed the same is the support from my coaches, teammates, family and friends. As the year closes, I am deeply grateful. There is no perfect time. Do it now.

Kampton Kam (athletics)

When I first won the Ivy League title (in 2024), it was more like a relief to me because I had been expected to win that a year earlier, having been seeded No. 1. But due to injuries, I couldn’t even compete for it.

For context, since the Ivy League championships are always a week or two before indoor nationals, it’s kind of a precursor to that meet.

However, in March 2025, I had not qualified for the indoor nationals yet and that meant this Ivy League championship would be an all-out “me against me” competition, where I had to outjump myself.

I jumped 2.21m, which also improved on my previous indoor national record of 2.20m and retained the Ivy League title. 

From then on, this sign that we have at the track house reminds me to take things one step at a time and focus on things I can control. Oh, and it’s a pretty cool souvenir to have too.

Amanda Yap (gymnastics)

It’s been in my drawer for a long time, but I wore it only during competitions this year, which also marks my first year as a senior. 

This red scrunchie was with me through significant moments such as the world championships in Jakarta and SEA Games in Bangkok. No matter where I was competing or how I was feeling, it was there with me.

It saw the nerves before routines, the hard work behind the scenes, and the moments where everything came together. In fact, I shared it with Colleen (Hong) and my sister Emma during the SEA Games when they did not have their scrunchies with them, and each of us won a medal, so we joked about it being a lucky scrunchie!

Over the year, my special red scrunchie became more than just an accessory. It represents the journey I went through in 2025, making it a meaningful part of my year.

Amanda Lim (swimming)

My dad, a typical Asian man in many ways, was a man of few words. Actually a man of no words. When he passed away in 2025, there wasn’t anything he’d left for me in the form of notes or letters.

Then I decided to sell my car and drive his van. It’s iconic because everyone knows it’s his van. He was a Taoist priest and the van was always full of items he used for religious rituals.

I feel this van is perfect for me because you can’t drive fast in it. I feel it’s my dad’s way of telling me to slow down and maintain a balance between always going for it and relaxing.

The van reminds me of him every time I’m out. It’s like I’m driving him everywhere that I’m going. As if I’m taking him with me wherever I go in life.

Danisha Mathialagan (boxing)

This notebook marks the beginning of my journey into sports psychology. It holds a special place in my heart because, for the longest time, I navigated the mental side of boxing on my own. Working on my mindset changed everything – the way I box, the way I feel before my fights and the way I show up as a person outside the ring.

Through this journey, I have built an identity that I carry with me everywhere, not just when I step into the ring. It shaped my discipline, my confidence and my perspective. Because of it, I truly feel like a better boxer and more importantly, a better person.

Hariss Harun (football)

Captaining the national team is always an honour and a privilege that I have never taken for granted. Nov 18, a day before my 35th birthday, was the most special moment in my career, when we came from behind to beat hosts Hong Kong 2-1 at the Kai Tak Stadium to secure a historic Asian Cup berth.

We don’t normally take back the armband after matches, but given the scale of the achievement and how memorable it was, Encik Omar (kitman Omar Mohamed) was nice enough to hand it to me and told me to keep it. He even wrote the date of the match on the armband, a thoughtful gesture that meant a lot to me.

The armband is still unwashed. I hope to eventually have the date printed on it. But for now, it sits atop a framed jersey presented to me by the Lion City Sailors to commemorate my 100 appearances for the club.

This qualification also shows us what belief can do and I hope it can be an example for generations to come – to be resilient, believe in your goals and put in the hard work, even when there are lows after lows. 

Yeo Jia Min (badminton)

2025 has been a rough year for me, testing my character in many ways. I started the year relatively well with a title and climbing up the rankings to 11th in the world.

Since then, multiple injuries over the past six months have taken me off track over and over again. Constantly unable to train the way I want to and standing on the sidelines when I so desperately want to compete. 

Side By Side by Edward T. Welch became a steady companion, during times when I felt pain, uncertainty, loneliness and when progress was slow. The book speaks about walking with others through hardship and it helped me understand that everyone needs help and should also offer help, because that’s normal and it’s simply part of being human. 

It added another dimension of resilience for me. My strength was no longer defined by enduring everything alone, there was new-found strength when I was willing to share my burdens.

Shaheed Alam (tennis)

Being a student-athlete in the US means living thousands of miles away from my support system. To bridge that gap, I kept a montage of photos featuring my family and closest friends pinned to the wall beside my bed.

It is the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing I see before I sleep. In the quiet, difficult moments of 2025 – whether recovering from an injury or balancing gruelling training with exams – this montage served as my anchor.

It isn’t just a collection of pictures; it’s a living reminder of the love and belief my community has in me.

Seeing those faces reminds me that I’m not just playing for myself, but for the people who have been there since day one.

This simple collage defined my year by turning my isolation into inspiration, giving me the daily strength to keep going.

Avvir Tham (diver)

Object: His diving journal

This journal is where I write down all my thoughts and goals, basically documenting my diving journey. Seeing my penned-down thoughts throughout the years, as well as the aspirations I’ve written down since I was a kid, reminds me of why I’m doing what I’m doing, through every hardship.

I started the journal three years ago for the 31st SEA Games, to list down and calculate the scores I wanted to hit for the competition, and it just continued from there. When I feel like writing an entry, I’ll just note the date and write whatever comes to mind, usually when something big happens, be it good or bad.

I’ve also always kept random things from my competitive trips, like the boarding passes or a coin from that country. I just started collecting small mementos whenever I could.

While I don’t think it gives me a competitive edge, I love documenting my journey. Looking back at the highs and lows, and everything I’ve been through, it reminds me why I’m doing this, and it gives me hope to see how far I’ve come. This journal isn’t just to remember the moments that happened, but also the emotions I’ve felt.