Shanti Pereira: “Everyone will have their expectations and opinions, but all that doesn’t matter”

As the countdown to the Paris Olympics and Paralympics 2024 begins, we speak to some of the top female athletes in Team Singapore’s contingent. Representing a diverse array of sporting disciplines including track and field, fencing, archery, and equestrian, these exceptional women epitomise the spirit of determination, skill, and perseverance. They tell us a little bit more about their sport, learning from setbacks, and how it feels to represent the nation in Paris.

Three months before the Paris Olympics, Shanti Pereira sustained an injury – the worst possible timing, as she is training for arguably one of the most important races of her career. But if there’s something that we’ve learnt about Shanti, it is that she doesn’t give up.

After a few years of rock bottom, Shanti made her way back to the top in 2023 with milestone wins at the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Asian Athletics Championships, marking several firsts for herself and Singapore as well. Qualifying for the Paris Olympics was a pinch-me moment for Singapore’s golden girl.

“The day after I qualified for Paris, I sat at the breakfast table looking back on my journey and what I went through to get to that day, achieving my dream of qualifying for the Olympics by time. I never thought it possible, but there I was, living it,” she says.

How do you navigate the external pressures and expectations that come with being recognised as Singapore’s top sprinter?

I take it as it is, something that comes with the territory of being a public figure, so it’s something I simply cannot control. Everyone will have their expectations and opinions, but all that doesn’t matter. Instead, I focus on what I can control, through my routines and my actions, and the people in my team who have helped me get to where I am. These are the people who matter.

What do you love about sprinting?

Everyone tunes in to watch sprint events, because you’re watching people fight to win, in a matter of seconds, yet so many things are happening in the pursuit of that. Even when the athletes cross the line, you don’t know who has actually won yet. That’s how the sprints are like. It’s exciting, exhilarating, challenging and, honestly, shiok. I do love the 200m sprints more, because there are certain ways to run with it, and we can get pretty creative with our strategy. So it’s really fun to learn and execute it.

How do you prioritise mental and physical recovery?

It’s just as important as training, I need my body to feel good and ready to put in quality and intense training sessions on a daily basis. My recovery and destress/ decompress routines include: yoga, hot and cold baths, saunas, taking time for myself hitting coffee spots, journalling, and actually cleaning my room!

Are there any causes, hobbies, or skills you’d like to develop further when you have more time for yourself?

I’ve been doing yoga for about four years now, and I would love to take a yoga teacher training course in the future. Until then, I think I have to work on my flexibility. I would also really want to learn how to make a good cup of coffee!