PROMISE TO PURSUE GREATER HEIGHTS
Among the 11 recipients of the GCTEA (Promise) was para-athlete Nur Aini Mohamad Yasli, who made history as Singapore’s first female para-powerlifter at the 2017 ASEAN Para Games – just two months after starting formal training.
Diagnosed with multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, a condition affecting bone growth, the 33-year-old is a sports and health educator, and supports community initiatives like PlayBuddy, an adaptive sports play group for children with physical disabilities.
When Sherry Toh Yee Teng was diagnosed at 13 with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type II, a rare neuromuscular condition, she discovered her love of video games, which has led to her career as a game writer.
An advocate for systemic change for people with disabilities in Singapore, the 27-year-old was awarded the Singapore Health Inspirational Patient and Caregiver Award in 2025.
Another awardee was Arassi Maria Rajkumar, 32, a dancer who co-founded the Diverse Abilities Dance Collective in 2018.
Starting her dance journey at the age of four in the Down Syndrome Association, she has trained in different dance forms, performing an Asian contemporary dance piece and co-facilitated a Bharatanatyam workshop at the World Down Syndrome Congress in Brisbane in 2024.
Other GCTEA (Promise) recipients include Amanda Chan Si Qi, a quality assurance analyst at Deutsche Bank, Johnson Chia Rong Xi, who is an accounts and finance manager at Avon Group, and Victoria Liew Yi Xuan, a Master of Architecture graduate from the National University of Singapore.
Two retail associates at UNIQLO, Johannes Cheong Hui Ming and Florence Hui Xuan Lin, also received the award, as did Patricia Gerardine Tomnob Merilo, a digital accessibility lead at Equal Dreams, Lydia Tay Wan Ching, who is a musician, composer and violin teacher, and Jade Ow Yanhui, a programme coordinator at National Gallery Singapore.
Chairman of the GCTEA Evaluation Panel Michael Ngu attended the ceremony at Pan Pacific Singapore and congratulated this year’s recipients.
“Each of today’s awardees exemplifies exceptional resilience and achievement in fostering inclusivity,” Mr Ngu, who is a board member of SG Enable and a GCTEA 2019 achievement awardee, said.
“As we honour 15 recipients, we remain committed to championing inclusive efforts and acknowledging excellence in the years ahead.”
SG Enable CEO Lee May Gee, also lauded the “courage, talent and determination” of the awardees, adding that “their achievements remind us that when we recognise and support the abilities of every individual, our society becomes stronger, kinder and more cohesive”.