BY
Dylan Teh

Deputy Editor

Hype Issue #63

Published on

May 30,

2025

Photo Credit: Koh Xiao Li

Being an athlete in Singapore is no easy feat. From the sky-high expectations set by coaches, to endless scrutiny by the media. It’s no wonder that most choose to retire in their late 20s or early 30s. But where do they go after that?

Koh Xiao Li, 30, a former member of the national women’s water polo team, once faced this dilemma. Growing up in a family full of swimmers, she spent her youth competing against her seven siblings for their parents’ acknowledgement. 

“I want(ed) recognition. I always compare(d) myself to them.” Reflecting upon her childhood, Ms Koh felt a sense of impostor syndrome. 

A Life Pitted Against the Rest

It was for that very reason she decided to pick up swimming at the young age of four, kickstarting her competitive career in primary school and landing herself a place in Singapore Sports School— the only sports school in the country. There, she juggled an intense schedule of swimming practice twice a day while studying to pass her O-Level exams, eventually landing herself a spot in Temasek Junior College (JC) through Direct School Admission (DSA).

It was at JC where the trajectory of Ms Koh’s life changed forever.

“The teacher who interviewed me was asking if I wished to try water polo.” She recounted. “As someone who [was] trying to go for an interview for a DSA sport, you obviously say yes because you want to be agreeable to everything, and hopefully they give you a place in the school.”

While she initially sought the path of a swimmer, Ms Koh was swept up by the tide of her new sport, relishing its aggressive nature. However, there was another, more personal reason Ms Koh took up the sport.

Among her siblings was swimmer Koh Ting Ting, 33,  who made her competitive debut in the 2009 SEA (Southeast Asian) Games hosted in Laos and earned the recognition of her family and peers. Ms Koh admitted that her decision to pursue water polo was partially motivated by her drive to set herself apart from the rest of her siblings.

Koh Xiao Li (left) with her sister Koh Ting Ting (right). Photo credit: Koh Xiao Li

Hungry for acknowledgement, Ms Koh blazed her path forward and climbed the ranks of Temasek JC’s women’s water polo team and eventually was scouted to join the holy grail of sport in Singapore: the national team. 

Stormy Seas 

Yet, it was during this time that Ms Koh faced a catastrophic roadblock in her professional career. 

 In 2016, Ms Koh crushed her middle finger in a freak accident while training for the 10th Asian Swimming Championship held in Japan that year. “I had a laceration and had to …[have] four stitches on my finger,” She lamented. “And that was one week before they announced the team list.”

 While she managed to continue training at a reduced capacity, Ms Koh knew in her heart that the accident destroyed any chance she had at competing that year. In the end, her coaches decided that Ms Koh wouldn’t be able to recover in time for the championship and chose another player.

“When I received that piece of news, I just felt like maybe I should quit.” 

But Ms Koh pushed on, through sheer stubbornness and force of will, clawing her way back to the top and proving to her coaches that she still had it in her. 

A Rising Star

Ms Koh made her competitive debut representing Singapore in the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, where the team achieved a silver medal. However, like most athletes, this was not nearly enough for her. 

“I remember on the way home from the hotel towards the airport, I was telling myself that this is not all I have given. I have so much more to do. I’m going to train so hard, [and] come back even stronger in the next edition.”

Koh Xiao Li (right) with her mother (left) at the 2017 SEA Games. Photo Credit: Koh Xiao Li
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It was during her time in the national team where Ms Koh felt truly at home, forming deep bonds with like-minded friends within the water polo scene, as well as her fellow athletes who strived to achieve more and more as a team.

Ms Koh recounted the highest point in her professional career being in 2019, just before the pandemic hit. She was given the opportunity to travel to Greece for three months and train with athletes there.

“I got chosen for such a good opportunity to play among the best in the world. So it’s a bit like that acknowledgement that comes from being selected.” 

Koh Xiao Li in Greece. Photo credit: Koh Xiao Li.

Finally, Ms Koh felt seen, acknowledged for the years of work she put in. She finally lived up to the seemingly insurmountable standards she set for herself, and earned the praise of her family and friends. 

Some might have hung up their boots right there, but not Ms Koh. No, she still had to go for the gold. The final mountain to conquer, finishing the story and attaining gold at the SEA Games. 

Breaking Point

Ms Koh and her teammates fought tooth and nail in the subsequent 2019 SEA Games in Philippines, and the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia. But they kept on stumbling at the final hurdle against Thailand’s water polo team.

Something broke within Ms Koh. At the time, she already had doubts about her future as a professional athlete, studying sports science in her free time in case she ever wanted to make a career switch. 

“At that point of time, training was always the same. I could predict what … the set [of exercises], what … the routine that we were going to do [was]. There was no adjustment or flexibility in the training.”

Because she was studying sports science, Ms Koh recalls being more aware of how exercise and training affected her body, feeling immensely frustrated at the rigidity of the monotonous regime. “Why are we doing this? We are supposed to be, for example, [on] a down week right now, but we are still getting pushed to our limits and our bodies are breaking apart.” 

“I was in a very bad state of mind, [so] I felt like I should give myself some time away from water polo.”

Ms Koh decided to retire from professional water polo in 2023 after competing in that year’s SEA Games, much to the lament of those around her, particularly her teammates. They tried to persuade her to stay, thinking it was a waste if she quit now, as they just needed to train for two more years and fight back for the gold.

But Ms Koh had heard it all before, and she had set her mind straight. 

A New Path Forward

Ms Koh needed to forge a new path for herself, but where would she go? Well, she recounted how she took on swim-coaching at the Chinese Swimming Club as part-time work during her time in Temasek JC, recalling a sense of achievement after looking at how accomplished and happy her students felt after each lesson.

“That was what got me thinking that maybe I could be a teacher. But because of the swimming scene, I’m only coaching swimming. I felt that there’s more to give rather than just swimming.” 

After some soul searching, Ms Koh found herself applying to become an MOE-certified Physical Education (PE) Teacher. 

The road ahead was anything but easy, with Ms Koh having to adjust many different aspects of her life to fit a teacher’s daily schedule. 

Koh Xiao Li at the Teachers’ Investiture Ceremony 2024 Photo credit: Koh Xiao Li.

Ms Koh also pointed out several differences between her now former job as an athlete compared to her new job as a teacher. “In teaching, there are 40 students waiting for you. And you might not know what they are thinking.” 

“They are asking different questions, and accidents might happen at any point of time. So I have to be flexible and adaptive.” 

While Ms Koh had some experience having to adapt on the spot, changing her thought process to fit younger, much more emotional students, was a hurdle in and of itself.

It was times like these where Ms Koh leaned on her experience as a professional athlete to wade the storm through her unshakable resilience. 

Contrary to what others might think, the unpredictable and ever-changing nature of teaching was the fast-paced environment Ms Koh was seeking. “I enjoy teaching more because I don’t like routine.”

She also commented on how she feels more welcome during her lessons as students love PE. “They are very happy to get out of the classroom to enjoy playing with friends.” 

Impostor Syndrome Begone

Right now, Ms Koh’s goal is to become a senior teacher, developing herself while staying in touch with kids.

She no longer compares herself to her siblings and peers, realising that pitting apples against oranges was holding her back. “I [told] myself that I shouldn’t compete and I should just do my own thing and live life to the fullest. Whatever I am doing, I should just do my best and stop comparing.” 

If she could go back in time and speak with her past self, she would impart a lesson that she imparted upon her students. 

“Don’t overthink, everything will fall into place. Just do your best in whatever you do.”