These women tell us about gender dynamics in their sports

Xu Liting is a communications consultant who rock climbs competitively and who has won all of the main bouldering competitions in Singapore at least once.

“I was introduced to climbing when I got a job as a programmes manager at a climbing gym while studying for my degree. I got hooked on it pretty quickly because it is different from other sports – it involves an element of problem solving. Every time I go to the gym, I’m faced with various ‘problems’ of varying complexities, so every session is exciting.”

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Farhanna Farid is a powerlifter who has broken multiple Asian records and who is the first Singaporean to clinch an overall gold medal in the open age category at the Classic Powerlifting Championship in Mongolia.

“I got into powerlifting when I started following my boyfriend to the gym. Back then, I had no sense of my strength or lifting capabilities, so when I dead- lifted more than the national record, I had no idea what my potential could mean. However, it marked the turning point, as my boyfriend then suggested that we engage a powerlifting coach to see how far I could take it.”

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Kirstie Gannaway is a professional boxer and martial arts instructor who has won two professional boxing fights.

“Growing up, I looked up to my older brother, and when he started competing in boxing after my dad signed him up for lessons, I was inspired to do it too. He brought me to the gym and taught me the basics, and I haven’t stopped training since. My family had tried to discourage me from pursuing boxing – and then from fighting professionally – for a mix of reasons, including the risk of injury, and the lack of opportunities in Singapore that would make it hard to make ends meet.”

Read the full story here.

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