Toh Wei Soong opens up about resilience & renewal at Toyota World Para Swimming Championships
There are moments before a race when even Toh Wei Soong, one of Team Singapore’s most accomplished para swimmers, feels the familiar tightening in his chest — the rush of nerves and the quiet uncertainty before the starting buzzer.
And this comes from an athlete who has spent 12 years competing.
“The energy you feel before you go out, the worries that creep into the corners of your mind, they’re still there,” the 27-year-old Paralympian shared in an interview with MS News. “But that’s a good thing. It means you’re alive and processing the moment for all it’s worth.”
That perspective was shaped by years of training, competition, and the emotional ebb and flow that comes with chasing excellence.
“Sport has given me confidence and self-belief,” he said. “But it has also given me heartbreak and caused me to sacrifice many things. I think it’s important to celebrate this entire journey as much as to acknowledge the trials it has put me through.”
The people who form his anchor
Among those sacrifices were the everyday experiences his peers enjoyed, from late nights out to school exchanges. But for Toh, the rewards ran far deeper.
He began swimming competitively at 13, after representing his secondary school at the National Para Swimming Championships. That race became a turning point.
“It meant a lot to a kid who was trying to fit in and find himself,” said Toh, who was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis — a rare neurological condition affecting the lower spinal cord — at the age of two. “That experience made me want to look for bigger ways to represent my school and, eventually, my country.”
Walking with him through that journey are the people who’ve been there from the start: his family, friends, and coaches. At the heart of that strength is his mother, who has stood by him unconditionally.
Source: @tohweisoong on Instagram
“Having people in my life who care and think about me so much, it’s valuable beyond belief,” he mused. “And I recognise how lucky I am to have people like that.”
Looking back, Toh now sees just how far that love, support, and sacrifice have carried him.
It’s made me who I am. Someone with confidence and self-love. Someone who believes in himself and has the determination to rise above adversity. It’s made me a champion of disability sports. And it’s changed my life — and the lives of others — for the better.
A return with purpose
It was this mix of reflection and resolve that carried him back to the pool at the Toyota World Para Swimming Championships 2025 (WPSC25), held from 21 to 27 Sept at Singapore’s OCBC Aquatic Centre.
Source: @tohweisoong on Instagram
The landmark event made history as the first time a para sport world championship was hosted in Asia. With Toyota Motor Asia as the title sponsor, it marked a major milestone for both the brand and the region’s growing para sports scene.
Close to 600 elite para swimmers from around the world competed across seven thrilling days. For Toh, a Global Team Toyota Athlete since 2018, the meet was both a homecoming and a proving ground.
Coming off a reset year following the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, he approached the event with a quiet determination to prove that he still belonged among the best.
“I wanted to go out there and be a competitor again,” he said. “To be a threat. That was one of the big goals of this competition.”
Source: Sport Singapore
Now, Toh’s biggest challenge lies less in physical training and more in managing the mind that drives it all.
“Physical training is straightforward — you follow a programme,” he explained. “But mental preparation is more abstract. Sometimes, neutrality is enough. You don’t have to go into every challenge with positivity.”
Team Singapore makes waves at WPSC25
Competing on home ground during WPSC25 added another layer of meaning for Toh. Surrounded by teammates, coaches, and supporters, he felt the energy of a community coming together to celebrate how far para sport in Singapore has come.
This year’s championships marked Singapore’s largest-ever para swimming contingent, featuring nine athletes.
Toh put in strong performances in several finals, including the Men’s 100m Backstroke S7 and 50m Freestyle S7, showing that his trademark focus and composure remain as sharp as ever.
Source: @tohweisoong on Instagram
His teammates also shone. Yip Pin Xiu successfully defended her world title with gold in the Women’s 50m Backstroke S2 and added a silver in the 100m Backstroke S2, continuing her reign as one of the world’s top para swimmers.
Source: Singapore Disability Sports Council on Facebook
Meanwhile, Sophie Soon set a new national record and personal best in the Women’s 100m Backstroke S11, proving that the Lion City has no shortage of talent in the water.
Toyota’s belief in ‘Mobility for All’
Beyond the medals and record-breaking swims, WPSC25 was a celebration of inclusivity — a reflection of Toyota’s vision of “Mobility for All”, which champions the freedom for everyone to move, grow, and pursue their goals, no matter where they begin.
It’s a belief that stretches back to 1937, when company founder Kiichiro Toyoda started Toyota’s first sports club, convinced that sport builds better people and better people build stronger communities.
Today, that same spirit lives on through Toyota’s sport philosophy, where they proudly support athletes, volunteers, and events across the region.
In Singapore, Toyota Motor Asia’s involvement in para sport has steadily grown. The company first backed the World Para Swimming World Series in 2019, returned in 2023 and 2024, and took things further this year as title sponsor of the World Championships.
Ahead of the competition, Toyota hosted a Media Day on 20 Sept, giving guests a behind-the-scenes look at its athlete hospitality space and a fireside chat with Global Team Toyota Athletes, including Toh, Greece’s Antonios Tsapatakis, Germany’s Maike Naomi Schwarz, and the United States’ Jessica Long.
“It’s really meaningful when a global brand like Toyota backs para sport,” Toh told MS News. “Their support improves the overall experience — from accessibility to awareness — and helps more people see what para athletes can do.”
Looking beyond the pool
For Toh, the week wasn’t just about medals — it was about momentum.
“I was excited about going out there and competing against the best in the world, and realising that I only have so many of these in my life,” he said. “Each competition is a privilege and a chance to be the best version of myself.”
While his days are anchored in swim sets and strength training, he also makes space for creativity, curiosity, and stillness.
Toh finds comfort in music, curating playlists filled with everything from Jimi Hendrix to White Zombie, each one a snapshot of his headspace during training or competition. And when he looks to the future, his dreams take on a different kind of form.
“I would love to be a designer of objects,” he shared. “To create things that weren’t there before. Things that help me figure out what I value and what I enjoy.”
Source: Toh Wei Soong on Instagram
“In many ways, I think this mirrors the act of creation that comes from sport,” he continued. “The idea of creating a moment in time, of creating a spectacle. I would not exist if I had not been there. And in that way, giving people something to root for and to remember.”
To connect with Toyota Motor Asia and learn more about their work, follow them on LinkedIn.
This post was brought to you in collaboration with Toyota Motor Asia.
Featured image by MS News and adapted from @tohweisoong on Instagram. MS News photography by Toan Ngo Huy.
