Theresa Goh

Theresa Goh Rui Si BBM (born 16 February 1987) is a Singaporean swimmer and Paralympic medalist, with a bronze at the SB4 100m breaststroke at the 2016 Summer Paralympics.

She holds the world records for the SB4 50 metres and 200 metres breaststroke events.

Due to congenital spina bifida, she does not have use of her legs.

Nonetheless, she started swimming at the age of five years, and began taking part in competitions at age 12.

Theresa Goh was born on 16 February 1987 in Singapore, the eldest of three children of Bernard Goh, the general manager of an engineering company, and Rose, a housewife.

Because she was born prematurely at seven months, her parents were worried she might not survive.

They were also shocked to discover that she had congenital spina bifida, which results in an incompletely formed spinal cord, as the condition had not been detected during her mother's pregnancy.

Goh had surgery at four months to close the opening at the base of her spine where her spinal cord was protruding.

Due to her condition, she does not have use of her legs and relies on a wheelchair for mobility.

She is also partially hearing-impaired due to an undeveloped left ear.

Regarding her disabilities, she has said: "I'm fine with it. I [wouldn't] be swimming or where I am today if I weren't disabled."

Goh, who was introduced to swimming at the age of five years, attended Tampines North Primary School and Dunman Secondary School.

She began swimming at 12 years, winning two gold medals at the National Swimming Championships in 1999.

She soon established herself as a top competitor, achieving a run of four gold medals at the 10th Malaysian Paralympic Games and ASEAN Invitation Championships in 2000.

She soon established herself as a top competitor, winning medals at, among others, the ASEAN ParaGames (2001, 2003, 2005 and 2008), Far East and South Pacific Games Federation for the Disabled (FESPIC) Games (now known as the Asian Para Games) (2002), International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation (ISMWSF) World Wheelchair Games (2003), National Swimming Championships (2004), and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Swimming Championships (2006).

Goh received the 2001 Sportsgirl Merit Award from the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) and was named Sportsgirl of the Year in 2002 and 2003.

At the inaugural ASEAN Para Games in Kuala Lumpur in 2001, she garnered six gold and two silver medals, and broke the world record in the 50 metres breaststroke.

She was named Sportswoman of the Games, and also picked up the 2001 Sportsgirl Merit Award from the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC).

In the same year at the Australian National Junior Disabled Games, she won five gold and two silver medals, and broke four games records.

She achieved three gold and one silver medal at the Far East and South Pacific Games Federation for the Disabled (FESPIC) Games (now known as the Asian Para Games) held between 26 October and 1 November 2002 in Busan, South Korea.

At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, although she did not pick up any medals she achieved games records of 51.05 seconds in the 50 metres freestyle and 1 minute 48.00 seconds in the 100 metres freestyle.

She was named Sportsgirl of the Year in 2002 and 2003.

In 2003, at the 2nd ASEAN ParaGames in Hanoi, Goh gained three golds, breaking three games records at the same time.

She also swept the golds in the 50 metres backstroke, 100 metres breaststroke, 50 metres butterfly, and the 50, 100 and 200 metres freestyle in Christchurch at the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation (ISMWSF) World Wheelchair Games in 2003.

From 2004 to 2006, she was the SDSC's Sportswoman of the Year.

At the 2004 British Paralympic Trials, she was first in the 200 metres individual medley and broke her personal best in six events.

She embarked on a Diploma in Moving Images at Temasek Polytechnic in 2005.

In March 2007, at the Danish Open in Esbjerg, Denmark, Goh took top honours in the 100 metres breaststroke, 100 metres butterfly, 100 freestyle and 200 metres individual medley.

At the 4th ASEAN ParaGames held in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat), Thailand, in January 2008, Goh broke the record she set in May 2007 at the German International Disability Swimming Championships to win the gold in the 50 metres breaststroke in a world and FESPIC record time of 52.62 seconds.

She achieved another gold in the 200 metres freestyle.

Goh took part at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing in the 50 metres, 100 metres and 200 metres freestyle, and in the 100 metres breaststroke.

Goh competes in sport class S5 for the freestyle, SB4 for the breaststroke and SM5 for the individual medley.

As of 22 August 2008, she was ranked second in the world for the 100 metres breaststroke and third for the 200 metres individual medley.

On 27 February 2008 Goh received a special award at the SDSC's Sports Superstar Awards 2007 for outstanding achievements in swimming, and in August that year she was conferred the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Medal) in the National Day Awards.

As of January 2008, she was studying applied psychology at Raffles College, a private educational institute in Singapore.

She identifies as queer.

Goh competes in sport class S5 for the freestyle, SB4 for the breaststroke and SM5 for the individual medley.

Her latest sports achievement was in the 2016 Rio Paralympics where she snagged a Bronze medal in the SB4 50 metres breaststroke.

In the same year, she was presented the Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star) in the National Day Awards.

She announced her retirement from sports in 2019.