Sports School diver uses injury downtime to prep, acing IB exam

While preparing for his first international diving competition in late 2022, Singapore Sports School student Yim Shek Yen, 18, faced his first hurdle.

- Elisha Tushara

After executing a dive from a 10m platform, Shek Yen felt dizzy and could not hear clearly with his left ear. His worst fears were realised when he learnt that he had perforated his eardrum.

"Because it was the first time (it happened), I had no idea what was going on, and I was extremely scared that I had just lost my hearing," he said, adding that the injury immediately eliminated his chances of representing Singapore on the global stage.

Shek Yen, a member of the national Diving Training Squad, was dealt another blow when the doctor who treated him said he would need time to recover.

Still hurting from missing his chance to compete in Montreal, Canada, Shek Yen had to grapple with the reality that he would not be able to train or enter the pool for three months.