Category: SurvivorsPage 1 of 4

Radeem Rahman: You Must Believe | Journey to Becoming Singapore’s first Professional MMA fighter

Choke Clinch Crank Combat | Singapore’s first professional MMA fighter talks about overcoming failure to realise his dreams

DARE Festival 2024

13 November 2024: This year’s festival promises an extraordinary experience, bringing together talents from the mainstream and disabled communities.

Syafiq “The Slasher” Samad: Believing in a Higher Power

Choke Clinch Crank Combat | The former MMA fighter talks about overcoming suicidal thoughts and believing in a higher power.

Alexsandro “Leke” Machado: Giving Back to His Community

Choke Clinch Crank Combat | The highly-respected BJJ practitioner in Singapore shares how he’s giving back to his community.

Izyan Mellyna: Putting Health and Family First, Career Second

“As an actor, I’ve spent so much time shooting on set, especially last year when I was in Melaka for three months. But what am I chasing at the end of the day? I love my work, but it takes such a huge chunk of time from my family, and I don’t know how much time I have left.”

DJ Sathiya: Learning the Value of Self-Worth

“It took me a very long time to realise this, but nothing is more important than your mental health, be it in love or career. Life is about the decisions you make, so choose wisely, and always protect your peace of mind.”

Samantha Quek: She Fought Through a Fractured Spine

Choke Clinch Crank Combat | The undefeated professional boxer in Singapore shares how martial arts transformed her.

Protected: Peter Lim: Being Shamed for Balding Motivated Him to Start Aremyhair

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Protected: John Fearon: Entrepreneur’s Backup Failure Saved His Life

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Sophia Pay: Tragic Death of Sibling Inspired Kindness to Strangers and a More Purposeful Life 

People of Legends | “Sometimes, I do wonder. What if my brother called me the day he wanted to kill himself? Is there something I could have done? That emotion is very unresolved, because there’s nothing that you can do about it now.”

Arz: Picking Up the Pieces After Heartbreaking Divorce by Leaning on Faith and Boxing Practice

People of Legends | “I went for counselling, and the counsellor gave me very good advice. She said my ex-wife is out there smiling, laughing and enjoying her life as though I never existed. She’s living her best life right now, while I’m here spiralling. Don’t I deserve to be happy, too?”

Jean Ling: Being in a Wheelchair Will Not Define Me

How do you cope with life’s unexpected events? Jean Ling shows how she didn’t just survive but thrived after a car accident in New Zealand.

Hirfan Romzi: Looking at a Game of Chess as a Metaphor for Life

The Founder of Aliwal Chess Club talks about how their community gatherings are never just about playing chess. “When you play chess, everything happens within those 64 squares….

John Lim: Author Talks About Overcoming Suicidal Thoughts After Failing to Become a Doctor

This World Mental Health Day, John Lim of Live Young and Well wants you to love yourself and lean on the power of friendships. 

Raymond Lim: Overcoming Gambling Addiction to Be a Better Husband, Father and Businessman

“I’ve learnt that when you gamble, you don’t only hurt yourself, but you hurt the people closest to you as well. So now, it’s not just about not wanting to fail myself, but also not wanting to fail the people I love.”

Ng Chih Chung: From Prison to Pedals, a Journey of Redemption and Resilience

“Whenever I hear how challenging it is for ex-offenders like myself to secure jobs, I am reminded of how  fortunate I have been. My only hope is that society will be more widely accepting of ex-offenders starting afresh.”

Niranjan Pandian: Music Offers Solace to Gifted Musician Who Suffers from Painful Skin Condition

“Everyone was born for a reason, and mine is to help the next generation discover themselves through music. Identity is the safeguard against low self-esteem, and everything I’m doing now is to help the youths find their voice.”

Maha Lakshmi: Bullied as a Kid for Having Curly Hair, Beauty Queen Learns to Love and Accept Herself

“I despised my hair when I was a kid because I was bullied excessively for having curly hair. In primary school, kids would throw staple bullets and pour eraser shavings into my hair. At that age when you’re so young and just want to be accepted, it was so hard to fit in.”

Hailey: Leaning on Combat Sports as a Coping Mechanism 

People of Legends | “In 2015, a family member whom I was close to committed suicide. It’s taken me a few years to talk about this without crying. With time, I’ve been able to speak about it to a couple of close friends, but beyond that, I don’t really bring it up in conversation.”

Benjamin Josiah Tan: On a Journey of Healing and Filling the Emptiness in His Life

“Over the last year, that sense of emptiness and loneliness was so strong. I didn’t know how to deal with it, so I went on a journey of trying to figure it out.”