Joanne See, 60, still motivated for 20th successive Great Eastern Women’s Run

SINGAPORE – In more than 20 years as a financial consultant with Great Eastern, Joanne See has processed her fair share of claims from clients suffering from serious illnesses, including cancers.

Having faced several health issues herself, the 60-year-old understands how difficult the journey can be and the importance of support through the ordeal.

As a way of encouragement, the sexagenarian writes the names of friends and clients affected by illnesses on her race bib whenever she takes part in the Great Eastern Women’s Run (GEWR).

Come Nov 1, See has signed up for the 10km run in what will be her 20th consecutive GEWR, having started her relationship with the event since its inception in 2006.

“Running can be quite lonely if you were to run alone by yourself. When I’m doing claims for my customers, I started seeing people suffering from cancer, especially women,” she said.

“These women went through so much pain and that got me thinking: What can I do for them? So I started writing their names on the back of my race bibs, then I would take a picture and send it to that person to say that I know you’re in pain, I’m going to dedicate this run to you, and as I run, I pray and I remember you.

“When you put meaning into your run, it’s no longer boring already, those are the small things I can do for my clients.”

See was speaking on the sidelines of the GEWR launch at Guoco Tower Urban Park on May 20. The GEWR on Nov 1 will feature the following categories: 100m princess dash, 2km mummy & me (for families of two, three or four), 5km, 10km (individual open, team category for tertiary students only) and 21.1km.

“Great Eastern Women’s Run has grown into a platform that brings people together and uplift one another,” said guest-of-honour Goh Hanyan, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment.

“It continues to empower women through sport, while reflecting the spirit of a more caring and inclusive society, where every step makes a difference to the wider community.”

Running has been a source of comfort for See since childhood, when she dealt with asthma and frequently found herself in and out of the hospital.

In primary school, she would join her teacher on his morning runs before classes began and found a sense of freedom in the activity.

She said: “There are people who say running is very boring, but running has given me a lot of satisfaction.

“I can remember I was always in and out of hospital (as a child) because of my asthma, so the more you’re not healthy, when I saw my teacher running, I followed him and it felt so good that I didn’t have to be on the (hospital) bed.”

At 26, after giving birth to her daughter, See was diagnosed with spondylosis – age-related wear and tear of the spinal discs, joints, and bones – which affected two of her vertebrae.

The condition caused lower back pain, making even sitting or sneezing painful. She also had to sleep on her side to avoid putting pressure on her spine.

She initially thought that her running days were over, but a physiotherapist encouraged her to continue exercising to strengthen her muscles.

Her condition later progressed to cervical spondylosis, but she is thankful that it has not impacted her ability to run, swim, cycle and hike.

Now looking to complete her GEWR milestone, See hopes her story will inspire others to take up running.

She said: “During the GE Women’s Run, you can actually see the synergy there when everyone gathers together, does exercise together. When you start doing the run, the empowerment, the happy feeling you have is very rare.”

This community spirit is the main draw for many people, including Alyssa Yeong, who queued for almost eight hours from 4.30am to snag one of the 118 pairs of complimentary race slots on offer at the launch.

Having taken part in the 10km run in 2025, the 21-year-old wanted to challenge herself with the half-marathon and roped in her secondary school friend Natanya Lye for this year’s event.

“It’s more of a challenge to try the half-marathon distance and with it also being an all-women’s event, it feels a safe space,” said the Singapore Institute of Management-University of Birmingham undergraduate.

“My motivation was because my partner did a full marathon last year and his sister did three half-marathons with one being Great Eastern, so I thought I’d love to give it a shot.”

Lye, an undergraduate at the Nanyang Technological University, added: “With women, it’s better because guys always run a lot faster – it’s safer in that sense to try out this for the first time.”