SINGAPORE – Decked out in her cycling tights and cleats, Fanny See is typically out on her road bike every Monday and Thursday, riding with friends from the Singapore Park Connection Network (SG PCN) Cyclist Facebook group at Tanah Merah Coast Road.

The 25-year-old air stewardess may seem like a regular cycling enthusiast, but it took her almost eight years before she was able to get back onto the seat of a bike.

In 2013, See was involved in a cycling accident that resulted in her losing two-thirds of her pancreas.

She had joined her friends on an excursion to Pulau Ubin despite her mother’s disapproval. On the island, the group rented bikes and took to the mountain biking trails.

They came to a steep slope that was littered with rocks, but chose to disregard a sign warning cyclists to dismount and push their bikes.

While going down the slope, an inexperienced See made an unexpected turn and ended up crashing to the ground. The bike’s handlebars pushed hard into her abdomen when she fell.

“I was in deep pain. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t talk,” she said.

It was two hours before help arrived and she was put on a speedboat back to Singapore, where she was rushed to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

See was told she needed surgery to remove two-thirds of her pancreas, which had been punctured by the handlebars.

“I didn’t expect that it will be so serious because there wasn’t any bruises. I was crying and begging – can I not undergo the surgery?” she recounted.

She spent two weeks in the intensive care unit and two more in the general ward, missing a month of school.

As the pancreas helps with digestion and regulates blood sugar, she had to take insulin jabs and undergo daily blood tests for a few months after the surgery.

She is now fully recovered from the accident, but has to watch her diet as she is a diabetes risk.

Mentally, her recovery has been slower. See developed cyclophobia after the accident and did not ride again. It was during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021 when she got reacquainted with the sport.

With entertainment options closed and international travel curtailed, the self-confessed couch potato began visiting Singapore’s parks. While exploring East Coast Park with a friend, they found it too big to explore on foot.

“So we saw these SG bikes and we installed the app (SG Bike) and we cycled from East Coast Park to Marina Bay Sands,” she said.

See also worked part-time at a spin studio during the pandemic, which got her interested in indoor cycling.

Getting back on a bike after eight years was surprisingly easy.

She said: “I didn’t feel scared or anything at all because I’m older and I have better control of myself and the bike.

“The doctor has advised me not to do any core-strenuous exercises, which is why I picked up cycling because it does not put a lot of impact on your core, but more on your legs, your thighs... it’s a very enjoyable sport to me.”

See eventually joined the SG PCN group and credits her love for the sport to a supportive community. She is also in a cycling group in her company that plans rides and special events.

Her work as an air stewardess takes her all over the world and she sometimes brings her foldable bike with her when she flies.

In May, See will participate in her first event after signing up for the OCBC Cycle ST 20km Ride.

“It’s a very good event because it really motivates people to come together and work out together.

“So it is very interesting to ride on the road without traffic, to be able to attend classes with your friends and even make new friends.”

Early bird registration for the May 6-7 event (in-person format) is open until March 7 at register.ocbccycle.com.