But for national swimmer Steve Khiew Hoe Yean, who is also a computer science undergraduate, the discipline has shaped the way he approaches his sport – by focusing on fine adjustments rather than drastic overhauls, much like improving a system step by step. That mindset paid off at the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games Thailand 2025 in December, where Khiew clinched gold medals in the men’s 400m freestyle and 200m freestyle events, a silver in the 4×200m freestyle relay, and a bronze in the 4×100m freestyle relay. “It definitely feels great, especially since I’ve been aiming for this since the Vietnam SEA Games. “The last two SEA Games (Vietnam in 2022 and Cambodia in 2023) didn’t go as planned, but I kept my hopes up and continued training. Reflecting on his journey, Khiew shared that the past few years had been challenging, teaching him patience and resilience.

Source: The Star January 18, 2026 03:00 UTC