Singapore swimmer Gan Ching Hwee nearly gave up on her Olympic dream. She’s now inspiring the next wave

PARIS: Less than six months ago, Gan Ching Hwee wondered if her Olympic dream was ever going to materalise.
The 21-year-old had clocked a poor time at the World Championships in Doha in the 1500m freestyle, almost 10 seconds slower than her then personal best.
“I was 20 seconds away from the qualifying time (for the Olympics),” she told CNA in an exclusive interview on Sunday (Aug 4). “I just remember feeling so disheartened and discouraged.”
After missing out on the Tokyo Games three years ago, doubts quietly crept in.
“I was really thinking about it day in and day out, do I have what it takes to qualify? There was just a lot of self-doubt that came along the way,” she revealed.
Fast forward to today, Gan is an Olympian who set two national records at the Paris Games in the 800m freestyle and 1500m freestyle.
She is the first Singaporean female swimmer do so at the Games since Tao Li (100m backstroke) in 2012.
“(It’s) not (been) the easiest journey, but I would say I’ve learnt so much from my experiences so far and just being able to show up at the biggest meet,” she said.
“It’s like a dream, sometimes I have to pinch myself (and ask): ‘Is this reality?'”
Gan’s first attempt at making the Olympics came three years ago.
The long distance specialist had initially received an invitation after meeting a “B” cut time for the 1500m freestyle, but would miss out after compatriot Quah Ting Wen’s appeal was successful.
“It’s still kind of a blur because everything happened so quickly,” she recalled.
“I just remember when everything happened I was in the middle of my common tests in my second year in JC … Me being me, I always want to excel in everything I do, so at that time, I told myself to shift my focus onto something else. Not brood over unhappy things.”
Support from her friends, family and schoolmates got her through the “tough” time, she said.
“Part of me just questioned myself if I was good enough because I felt like I had failed my coaches in a certain way. Disappointed them by not making it to Tokyo which something we’d worked on for years,” Gan explained.
That setback, however, spurred the Indiana University undergraduate on.
“That particular setback really helped feed the flame, my drive to really want to continue working hard to achieve this goal.”
At the same time, every athlete knows that progress is never linear. And Gan recalled how she would be “toggling” between good times and bad times in the pool.
“Sometimes, I think about it and I get so emotional because throughout the past three years, I really wanted to give up on so many different occasions,” she added.
At last year’s World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Gan recalled feeling like she was “on the right track” after a strong showing.
“(It felt as if) a little more training and stuff like that would put me in a very good spot to qualify (for the Olympics). So I wanted to give it a good solid shot at Doha this year,” she explained.
“But sometimes, no matter how hard you swim, you put in your 101 per cent effort to train, race and you just don’t get the results you want … Results aren’t guaranteed, and that’s the life of an athlete.”
With her shot at Olympic qualification dwindling by the day, Gan clocked a new national record and personal best in the 1500m freestyle at the Singapore National Swimming Championships in June.
However, her time of 16:10.61 was only enough for the Olympics Consideration Time, also known as the “B” cut.
“I once again failed like I had failed in my pursuit of achieving the (‘A’) cut,” she added.
“From that episode in Tokyo, I told myself that I need the ‘A’ cut, if not I’m not going … I felt happy that I dropped 10 seconds (from my last personal best), but I felt sad that I didn’t even make the ‘A’ cut. It was a bit bittersweet.”
And so for the next two weeks, she tried to process her emotions and just “be at peace” with the situation if she could not make it.
“I occupied my time by training for a 10km race in Bali, having fun with my friends. Just taking my mind off very intense things, and emotions and thoughts,” Gan recalled.
But eventually, Gan would get the call that she was going to Paris after World Aquatics offered Gan an invitation to participate in the women’s 1,500m freestyle based on her having met the Olympics Consideration Time.
Singapore Aquatics then made the decision to send Gan over Quah based on selection criteria that had been in force since June 2023. 
“At the first (instance), it was more relief. Like a weight being taken off my shoulders,” said Gan.
Throughout her 30 minute interview with CNA, Gan brought up several people in her corner. 
There’s her swim coach of almost a decade Eugene Chia, exercise scientists Charmaine Lim and Zac Leow, as well physiologist Cherianne Taim and sport physiotherapist Kelvin Wong.
“The most special thing was that the same team that helped me in the lead-up to Tokyo … actually helped me yet again in the lead-up to Paris,” said Gan.
“It is like a moment of redemption for all of us. At this point, I’m not swimming for myself. I’m swimming for the people that have supported me through this time, throughout the good and the bad.”
With her events in Paris (800m freestyle, 1500m freestyle, 4x100m medley relay) over, Gan is taking the time to “soak in” the Games.
“I’m just so appreciative of the opportunity to do something that I really love on such a world-class stage,” she said.
“From yesterday to today, I’ve really just been trying to soak in the atmosphere, taking deep breaths, enjoying the (athletes’) village … just cherishing all the opportunities I have.”
She’s had the chance to mingle with fellow Team Singapore athletes and draw inspiration from them.
Gan recalled watching epee fencer Kiria Tikanah going up against then world number 1 fencer Ana Maria Popescu at the Tokyo Olympics on television. 
“She still gave a good fight and I was like: ‘Dang, she’s so good.’ I was really in awe of all these people and to see them in real life here is very inspiring in a certain way,” added Gan.
“It’s just very nice to see fellow Singaporeans really excelling on the world stage.”
When it comes to the next Games in Los Angeles, Gan is still unsure of what the future might hold.
“LA seems quite distant (at this point), I’m not going to lie,” she explained. “Me being in the last year of uni(versity), I’m also thinking what my next step is in terms of what I want to do in the future. I haven’t really set my mind on anything yet.”
But she is aiming to compete at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, as well as the next edition of the Asian Games in 2026.
“In terms of the nearer future, I definitely want to swim at the world championships at home. It would be something really really special,” Gan said. “I’ll definitely continue training hard, continue inspiring the next generation of swimmers.”
And inspire is exactly what she has done.
Gan was just 13 when she watched Joseph Schooling’s historic 100m butterfly swim at the 2016 Rio Games at her swim club, landing Singapore’s first Olympic gold medal.
“It was just a very ‘wow’ moment,” she recalled. (He) getting to do such great things and being so recognised for his hard work and dedication to the sport. It inspired a lot of kids, including myself.”
Eight years on, she was sent a “heart-warming” video of children at the Singapore Swimming Club cheering her on in the 1500m event at the Paris Olympics.
“It’s come full circle and there are really no words to describe it,” said Gan.