For cancer survivor Annie Yam, being in the pool is already a victory

Annie Yam was wearing a radiant smile as she got out from the OCBC Aquatic Centre’s swimming pool, despite finishing fourth in the women’s 50m butterfly (35-39 age category) at the annual Singapore Masters Swim Meet on Nov 3.

For the 37-year-old, a survivor of lung and thyroid cancer, the real joy comes simply from just being able to swim and compete again.

The Hong Kong-born Singaporean, who clocked 38.47sec, is among the 237 swimmers – with the oldest aged 83 – from Singapore, Australia, India, Hong Kong, Japan, United States, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and Saudi Arabia in the fray.

The short-course event is seen as a key preparation for the World Aquatics Masters Championships in Singapore from July 26 to Aug 22, 2025. 

Yam, the marketing lead at Johnson & Johnson, told The Straits Times that both diseases had been detected by chance.

She had experienced stomach discomfort after eating oysters while on holiday in Paris in December 2019. Upon her return to Singapore, she underwent an endoscopy and a CT scan, which found she had Stage 1 lung cancer. Subsequent scans also led to the discovery of a malignant thyroid tumour.

Yam recalled: “I was 33 back then, very young and it’s actually not common for people at my age to have cancer. I was very shocked. And the next thing that I thought of was: ‘Am I going to die? How long am I going to live?’ I was crying frantically.”

In March 2020, Yam underwent a lobectomy to surgically remove 20 per cent of her right lung. Three months later, part of her thyroid gland was also removed.

She has since been cleared of both cancers but Yam remembered the gruelling recovery process, especially after the lobectomy.

She said she had to re-learn how to do simple things like sitting up in bed and walking. That was when she wondered if she would ever again get to swim – a sport she had done all her life, competitively in school and, later on, as a masters swimmer from the age of 28.

In April 2021, just over a year after her operations, Yam got into a swimming pool at her condominium and swam a lap.

“It was very emotional for me. I cried non-stop. I never thought I could go back to the pool any more.

“I love swimming, and it is something that I have done all my life, so I was overwhelmed that I could still do it,” said Yam, who now trains with the Singapore Swimming Club and represents the Oldies But Goodies club.

Later that year, she returned to competitive action at local sports festival Pesta Sukan.

On her batttle with cancer, Yam said: “It is important to know that cancer is not the end of the world, a lot of people feel that cancer is like a death sentence.

“I’m very grateful that I’m able to compete and swim.”

She is grateful for the masters community too, adding: “I’ve made a lot of friends and even met my husband. The training and competition is also a very good mechanism for me to get back to better health and better cardio capacity.”

Medals are just a bonus, as she partnered Liane Marice Marquez, Sharmin Foo and Jo Lynn Teh to claim gold in the 100m medley relay at the meet.

Singapore Aquatics president Kenneth Goh, who took part in the men’s 50m breaststroke and butterfly events, said that masters swimming is not about winning but for the swimmers “to show their best versions given whatever constraints or circumstances in life that they are at”.

“There are many people like Annie out there, who are all fighting their own battles, and masters swimming is just one avenue where they can show despite what’s going on in their lives, they can still... get this sense of personal accomplishment.”