Shanti Pereira has emerged as a beacon of resilience and triumph

Sprinter Shanti Pereira, 28, is done processing the disappointment of the recent Olympics, where a stress injury in her fibula cut short her run.

Instead, she is allowing herself time to reflect on the huge honour of representing her country on the big stage, and setting her goal at the next Olympics in Los Angeles.

Her clarity is evident in the way she conducts herself on set, where she manoeuvres around the interview questions with ease. She's comfortable in her skin, and proud to depict her accomplishments and owning who she is.

"It was a huge privilege to represent my country on the world's biggest stage," Shanti shares. "The Olympics were an unforgettable experience, and I'm incredibly proud of the effort I put in to reach that point." Among the most significant moments of Shanti's Olympic journey was being selected as a flag bearer for Singapore. "The experience was surreal, and I felt a deep sense of pride representing my nation alongside [national sailor] Ryan Lo," she recalls.

By now, Singaporeans may already know the origin story of Singapore's fastest woman. Shanti was first drawn to track and field at nine years old, having watched her older sister, Valerie, compete in youth and junior races. Her enjoyment of sports was evident, and Shanti decided to attend the Singapore Sports School to further her secondary and post-secondary education.

At school, Shanti started to shine by setting records at the National School Games. She garnered more attention when she won the 4 x 400m race at the Thailand Sports School Games in 2009. She then continued to smash national records, including her first gold win in the women's 200m category at the 2015 SEA Games.

Her winning stride continued when she clinched the top spot at the 2021 SEA Games, and became the first Singaporean woman to win the sprint double at the 2023 SEA Games.

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