They Put Singapore On The World Map Despite Pandemic (Part 2)
Ho seh lah! Or should we say, horse seh lah! Singapore has secured a place in the history books again. For the first time, our Little Red Dot will be competing in equestrian at the Olympics, thanks to Caroline Chew who will be representing our sunny island state with her trusty 17-year-old steed aka superstar Tribiani.
And it’s not just Caroline doing our country proud overseas, a few other Singaporeans have also been trending due to their phenomenal achievements: one commands a Michelin-starred restaurant and will be competing in a prestigious culinary competition, while the other is making waves on India's airwaves.
<Olympics News> #BREAKINGNEWS Our Grand Prix rider Caroline Chew & her 17yo superstar Tribiani will be making their...
Posted by Equestrian Federation of Singapore on Friday, June 18, 2021
Caroline Chew
Who dat: The 29-year-old is a lawyer who juggles a full-time job while representing Singapore internationally at equestrian events as a Team Singapore athlete.
She is a veteran equestrienne, having won silver in the dressage individual and team events at the 2015 SEA Games, as well as bronze for individual and team medals in the 2017 edition.
Caroline is also the first Singaporean to compete at the Dressage Grand Prix in Le Mans, France aka the highest level of dressage in the equestrian world.
She currently resides in: The United Kingdom
Waseh ups: She will be making her (and Singapore’s) equestrian debut at the Tokyo Olympics. And get this: she only had two weeks to prepare for the qualifying meet (due to a last-minute withdrawal by New Zealand), and her coach had to guide her over Zoom because he couldn’t travel with her (he was not fully vaccinated).
Mathew Leong
Who dat: The 26-year-old is head chef at Michelin Plate Restaurant À L'aise in Oslo, Norway.
He’s been cooking since young – he used to help his mother out in the kitchen and even won inter-school culinary competitions – and landed a job at Re-naa (a Michelin-starred restaurant in Norway) when he turned 21.
He was promoted a month later despite his young age and lack of experience because of his dedication and expertise in the kitchen (sibei impressive). When he transferred to Michelin Plate Restaurant À L'aise, there was no stopping him - in just three years, he became the right-hand man of the restaurant's owner, Ulrik Jepsen.
He currently resides in: Norway
Waseh ups: This yandao can seriously cook; he has secured a spot to compete in the Olympics of the gourmet world aka the biennial Bocuse d'Or in France.
Shabir
Who dat: The 35-year-old music star is a multi-talented artist, most well-known as a singer, actor, and Kollywood producer.
Just how talented is he? Well, he has quite the awards list: He was the inaugural winner of Vasantham Star in 2005, got praised by PM Lee for composing the National Day song “Singai Naadu” in 2012, and was the first Singaporean to sign a deal with Sony Music India in 2017, and a recipient of a Singapore Youth Award in the same year.
Plus, according to one his Instagram posts, he has "had a total of 7 releases [as a composer] in the Indian Film Industry, which is the first feat of such nature for a Singaporean I am told".
And more than that, he has a heart of gold – Shabir and his team at Shabir Music Asia recently started a fundraising campaign titled “WeEat” to support both our hawkers and migrant workers.
He currently resides in: Singapore/Chennai
Waseh ups: Since taking the Kollywood scene by storm in 2018, the India media has heaped endless amounts of praise unto him for his debut as a music director. His hit song "Yaayum" from the movie "Sagaa" has hit one hundred million collective views on YouTube.
Most recently, his song “Aayizhai” was chosen by India’s top radio station Fever FM (which has a listenership of over 14 million) to be amongst 14 indian independent songs to be played across the country on World Music Day (21 June).
ICYMI... Singaporeans Who Put Singapore On The World Map Despite The Pandemic (Part 1):
Tap the image above, or click here to find out more about the global achievements of entrepreneur Keith Tan, chef Kenneth Foong, and freelance writer and photographer Prashant Ashoka.
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