Cover Multi-record-holder Shanti Pereira has been dubbed Singapore’s sprint queen (Photo: Getty Images)
Multi-record-holder Shanti Pereira has been dubbed Singapore’s sprint queen (Photo: Getty Images)
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Racing through barriers and rewriting history, Shanti Pereira has become a beacon of inspiration and pride for Singapore. Here are five things about the athlete quickly rising the ranks in the 21st century
At nine years old, Shanti Pereira watched her older sister, Valerie, compete in a school race. This was her first introduction to track and field. It ignited a fire in her that led her to pursue becoming a professional sprinter like her sister, who in 2011 represented Singapore at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
The younger Pereira had an early start to her sprinting career. When she was enrolled at the Singapore Sports School, she would set records at the National School Games. In 2009, she anchored her school’s Under-14 relay team by clinching the top spot in the 4 x 400m race at the Thailand Sports School Games.
Here are five more facts about Pereira, who will represent Singapore at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
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She holds multiple sprinting records
Pereira has set numerous records, including a 200m record of 22.69 seconds at the SEA Games and 22.70 seconds at the Asian Athletics Championships. Between February 2014 and March 2024, she broke a total of six national records worldwide. She has been dubbed Singapore’s sprint queen with these accomplishments under her belt.
A seven-year wait
It was Pereira’s historic gold medal in the 200m at the 2015 SEA Games that propelled her to national fame. She clocked a time of 23.60 seconds, beating the national record she had set in the day’s heats. This marked a monumental moment for herself and Singapore; it had been 42 years since the country clinched a gold in the women’s 200m sprint event at the Games. But following Pereira’s 2015 success, she went seven years without winning gold in her signature race.
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The lull period was marked by injuries, loss of scholarships and self-doubt. It was only in 2022, that Pereira made a triumphant return at the SEA Games, crossing the finish line at 23.52 seconds and shattering the national time she had set in 2015. She again defended her title in 2023.
Flying the Singapore flag high
In 2023, Pereira made history when she clinched gold in both the women’s 100m and 200m finals at the Asian Athletics Championships. Pereira also cemented her sprinting legacy at the 2023 SEA Games in Phnom Penh, where she not only retained her 200m crown but also shattered both the Singapore and SEA Games records with a time of 22.69 seconds.
Her triumph extended to the 100m sprint, where she secured a historic victory and became the first Singaporean woman to achieve the coveted sprint double at the SEA Games.
That same year, Pereira also became the first Singaporean woman to conquer the top spot in World Athletics’ Asian rankings for the women’s 100m outdoor race.
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The star of her own children’s book
Go Shanti Go! is a heartwarming children’s storybook that Pereira co-authored with her sisters, Valerie and Shobi. Inspired by the national sprinter’s career triumphs and setbacks, the book serves a dual purpose: preserving the momentous 2015 occasion and reminding readers that even the fastest sprinter in Singapore was once a young girl with a dream.
In an interview with her alma mater, the Singapore Sports School, Pereira said, “I didn’t realise how much impact that moment had until young kids started coming up to me telling me how much of an inspiration I was for them to join track. With that, it made sense to capture that moment in a children’s book, not only as a way to remember the moment for a long time but also for kids to know that they should never give up on their dreams, whatever they may be.”
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Creating impact outside of the track
Beyond the confines of the track, Pereira advocates for youth empowerment and sports development. Whether mentoring aspiring athletes or spearheading community initiatives, her impact transcends the boundaries of sport, forging pathways of hope and opportunity.
Despite her athletic achievements, she is not a full-time athlete. Fulfilling another life goal, she has pursued a career in fashion and works as a fashion content creator at a local content and media agency.
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