From wheelchair to podium, Valencia Yip fights back from injury
Kickboxer Valencia Yip has won multiple titles in her career, but standing on the podium at the Sept 26-29 Uzbekistan World Cup felt extra special for the Singaporean.
Just five months ago, she was confined to a wheelchair after sustaining a Lisfranc injury (ligament) in her right foot from a freak accident in training.
There were doubts over whether she would be able to recover in time for the event, but Yip’s determination paid off as she made her competitive return at the World Cup, clinching three golds and a silver.
The 34-year-old said: “I can’t really put it into words. I’m really happy that I managed to finish on the podium.
“A few months ago, I had to be pushed around on a wheelchair and couldn’t do a lot of basic things like buying food, taking public transport, so to be able to compete now and stand on the podium is a testament that anything is possible if you trust the process.”
She suffered the injury in April after landing awkwardly while attempting a jump spinning hook kick. She felt a sharp pain as the top of her foot hit the floor and was barely able to place any weight on it after that.
While she was still able to take a bus home, her foot swelled and she had to visit a hospital’s accident and emergency department to get it checked.
She was sent home with five days’ medical leave, but the initial diagnosis of an ankle sprain turned into dreaded news later.
Kickboxing Federation of Singapore (KFS) president Jason Lim viewed the closed-circuit television footage of the incident and saw the state of Yip’s foot, and his intuition told him the injury was more serious.
A second opinion from a specialist confirmed that she had a Lisfranc injury – caused when the bones in the mid-foot are broken or ligaments that support the mid-foot are torn – and required surgery.
“I was improving rapidly and was about to embark on the next phase of gymnastics training to strengthen my routines,” said Yip, who originally had planned to take part in competitions in May and June.
“I remember thinking ‘Why is this happening now when I’m growing and improving?’ I was actually angry at myself.”
After undergoing surgery in late April, the initial stages of recovery were tough.
Even though she was in a wheelchair, she forced herself to go to the swimming pool for pool therapy and also to the gym, where she used adaptive machines to limit the loss of muscle mass.
After six weeks, she was cleared to walk without a boot. She returned to training in mid-July, but even then, she was unsure if her foot could cope. There was also a lingering fear of re-injury.
The senior fitness trainer at kickboxing gym Active Zone said: “My stamina, fitness, cardio all dropped. I remember getting winded after performing a few moves.”
But with the support of those around her, she gained her confidence in time for the competition in Tashkent. At the Universal Sport Palace, Yip finished above India’s Shraddha Rangarh in the creative form, creative form weapon and musical form weapon categories, while the latter took gold ahead of the Singaporean in the musical form.
Her compatriots Alexavier Koh and Shaikh Abdullah also finished on the podium, bringing Singapore’s total tally to 10 medals.
Yip is now looking forward to 2025, when she is slated to compete in two World Cups and the World Association of Kickboxing Organisations World Championships.
Lim said: “What Valencia has done is truly remarkable. She really did overcome the impossible, against all odds... She’s gone through every athlete’s nightmare and come out on top in the most unbelievable manner.”
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