For his sheer will and determination, para-table tennis player Jason Chee was named the Straits Times Athlete of the Year 2017 on 13 March 2018 in a ceremony at the Mandarin Orchard Singapore hotel.
The 35-year-old navy regular, who lost both legs, his left arm and three fingers on his right hand in a naval accident in 2012, won a gold medal in the men’s singles Class 2 event at last year’s ASEAN Para Games just four months after losing his right eye to cancer.
“I am very happy to win on my ‘debut’… I have my own core values – determination, perseverance and fighting spirit – these three mean a lot to me,” said the first-time nominee for the award.
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Give it your all, Jason Chee urges his fellow athletes
He had lost much, and then some, but still gave his all for his sport and his country. For that, para-table tennis player Jason Chee was named The Straits Times Athlete of the Year 2017.
In a poignant speech after receiving the trophy from Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu, he urged fellow athletes to give their all in what is ultimately a fleeting career: “Play for yourself, play for your teammates, play for the people who fell in love with the game and make sure to cherish every season, every game and every training. It will be over a lot sooner than you realise.”
ST editor Warren Fernandez, who is also editor-in-chief of Singapore Press Holdings’ English/Malay/ Tamil Media Group, added: “Jason is an inspiration to us all, not only for the sporting medals he has won, but also for his sheer mental strength to overcome the many challenges life has thrown at him and to refuse to be defeated. He is a very deserving choice for ST Athlete of the Year.”
Watch his video story below.
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Source: The Straits Times, 14 March 2018