Nur’Aini Mohamad Yasli, 29, often faces stereotypes as the only female para-powerlifter on Singapore’s national team of five.
“Many people have the misconception that if you are a woman who does powerlifting or weights training, you will start looking very bulky or masculine, but there’s more to the sport than that,” she said.
Yasli hopes the newly launched Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) Life app will correct these false assumptions as well as recruit more people with disabilities to para-sports in general.
An acronym for Lifelong Independence, Friendships and Empowerment, the app, which was launched on Thursday, July 8, aims to encourage people with disabilities to learn about and participate in para-sports.
Registered users can sign up for inclusive sports and wellness programs, organised by SDSC, based on their interests and suitability while also providing information about volunteer opportunities.
Yasli and her fellow para-athletes can also use the app’s training tab to watch upcoming training sessions, competitions, and reviews of past results and performances.
SDSC president Dr Teo-Koh Sock Miang said the government is dedicated to supporting the sporting ambitions of people with disabilities, whether it is at the amateur or elite level and noted, “The most important step for persons with disabilities is to give disability sports a try.
“Whether you are a coach, a classifier, a technical sport official, a caregiver or a volunteer, there are valuable information and resources available for you on SDSC Life.”
Future plans for the app include listing disability-friendly locations like swimming pools and gyms as well as connecting with disability organisations and social service agencies to approach their clients who may be interested in para-sports.
The app is one of 43 projects supported by the Tote Board Enabling Lives Initiative Grant. It has been downloaded 450 times already and SDSC hopes to reach more than 2,000 by January 2022.
Mr Eric Chua, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Ministry of Social and Family Development, said, “The government will also continue to work with citizens, the disability community and other stakeholders, to hear perspectives from the ground, and to co-create policies and schemes to provide more effective and comprehensive support for disability sports, including the ongoing effort to develop the next Enabling Masterplan.”
