Indoor skydiving sisters Kyra and Vera Poh honour late grandpa with World Cup medal

SINGAPORE – Even before the winners’ trophies and medals, indoor skydivers and sisters Kyra and Vera Poh’s biggest fan was their grandfather Sunny Teo.

He was a constant presence at training and competitions, and his pride for his granddaughters was evident – he would cut out, laminate and display newspaper articles featuring them on his walls at home, even keeping copies in his car for his friends to read.

Teo always hoped that the siblings would compete together one day, but he died in 2017 before he got to witness it.

His wish was finally fulfilled in 2021, when they first competed together at the Belgium Open Indoor Skydiving Championship.

On April 4, their partnership took another big step as they competed as a duo on the world stage for the first time, claiming silver in the two-way dynamic open event at the 6th FAI World Cup of Indoor Skydiving.

Older sister Kyra, 24, said: “Even back when we were just starting out, he (Teo) was always so excited for us and so invested in what we were doing.

“When he passed away, he actually left instructions in his will to make sure Vera would have funds to train – she was 10 years old then.

“The idea of us competing together was something he really hoped to see one day, so being able to finally do that now carries a lot of meaning for both of us.”

Vera, who plans to enrol in the Lasalle College of the Arts, hopes they have done their grandfather proud, adding: “Competing together adds a whole different layer to everything.

“There’s a trust and understanding between sisters that just comes naturally because we’ve grown up together.”

While the sisters, who have a seven-year age gap, participated in competitions together, opportunities to compete as a team at world-level events were rare because the open category requires athletes to be at least 15.

As such, Vera usually paired up with Kai Minejima-Lee, while Kyra forged a successful partnership with Choo Yi Xuan.

When Vera, now 17, was finally old enough to compete in the open category at world events in 2024, an ankle injury put Kyra out of action for over a year.

But they finally got to do it at the iFly Aix-Marseille in France last week, a highlight of the competition for the siblings.

Kyra, who studies at the Essec Business School, said: “We’ve kind of always had our own separate journeys in the sport... To finally come together and compete on that stage was really special.

“It wasn’t even just about the result, it was about sharing that experience in the tunnel, knowing how much we’ve both put in to get there.

“She’s the person I’m closest to, so honestly, it was just so much fun fighting for it together.”

Kyra got started in the sport when she was eight, before Vera followed suit six years later.

They contributed to a successful campaign for Team Singapore at the World Cup, where the Republic’s indoor skydivers topped the standings with two golds, three silvers and a bronze.

France were second with two golds and two bronzes, while Germany (1-2-1) were third.

Kyra and Vera teamed up with Choo and Kai to clinch the four-way dynamic open title, while Kai and Kyra placed first and second in the solo freestyle open.

Choo claimed silver in the solo speed open, with Kai taking bronze.

Kai’s gold in the solo freestyle open made him the first athlete to claim back-to-back titles in the event at the World Cup, retaining the crown that he won at the previous edition in Macau in 2024.

While the circumstances in which he won his two titles were vastly different, both hold special meaning for him.

In 2024, he moved up from the junior to the open category after Kyra got injured.

Kai, 17, who is completing his International Baccalaureate diploma at Eastwood Global Online School, said: “The second title was just as special, if not more, because of everything – (not only) being able to win on my birthday (April 4) but also do it alongside the people I’ve looked up to for so long, it’s really such a proud moment for us to be on the podium together and it’s almost like everything has come full circle.”

Buoyed by Singapore’s success on the international stage, he hopes they can continue to build on the momentum and raise the profile of the sport back home.

He said: “Our goal as a team has always been to grow the sport. Moving forward this is going to inspire me to learn more from our mentors Kyra and Yi Xuan about leadership and how to teach younger people, and how to encourage younger athletes and pass that on to the next generation.

“Not just in indoor skydiving, but any sport in Singapore to encourage a new generation to compete at a high level.”

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