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Sophie Soon (Paralympic Swimmer)

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Sophie Soon Jin Wen (born 1998) is a Singaporean para swimmer from Team Singapore.[1][2] Over the years, she has represented Singapore to win several international competitions. Most notably, she competed in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and managed to come in fourth for the women’s 100m breaststroke SB12 event.[3]

Sophie Soon
Sophie Soon Profile Picture.jpg
Born1998
EducationNanyang Polytechnic - Diploma in Business Management
FamilyColin Soon (Brother)


In March 2023, Sophie Soon sparked some controversy after she posted a video of her confrontation with a Rocky Master employee on Facebook.[4][5][6] The dispute revolved around Sophie and her guide dog, whose presence caused her and her mother to be refused entry into the cafe.[4][5]

Background

At the tender age of five, Sophie Soon was diagnosed with cone rod dystrophy, an eye disorder that causes progressive vision loss.[1][7] Despite her disability, she grew to love swimming and eventually began competing in the sport.[1][2]

“They started doing exercises like writing numbers, recognition of numbers and all that. She [Sophie] took a long time and she kept getting it wrong, and she had her whole face practically buried in the paper, “I thought something was definitely not right.”[7]

Personal life & family

Born in Singapore, Sophie Soon comes from a family of four, including a younger brother named Colin Soon.[7] Like his sister, Colin also suffers from cone rod dystrophy and represents Singapore as a para swimmer.[7][8]

 
Sophie Soon with her brother, Colin. Photo from Instagram.

Sophie is currently in a relationship with Raphael Chau, a Senior Financial Consultant at Great Eastern.[9][10]

Education

Sophie Soon graduated from CHIJ Secondary before going on to pursue a Diploma in Business Management at Nanyang Polytechnic.[11][12] Due to her passion for music, she was also an active member of the NYP String Quartet.[8]

Her achievements and contributions as a para athlete and performer have also earned her the Platinum Award for Special Achievement at NYP's Student Talent & Achievement Recognition (Star) Award 2016.[8]

Work

During the off-season period, Sophie Soon is a Marketing Specialist at Toyota Singapore.[13] She previously worked as an Executive Administrative Assistant for Sport Singapore.[14]

Para swimming career

SPH National Incl Swimming Championships (2015 to 2019)

Date Tournament Placing Refs.
5 May 2019 SPH National Incl Swimming Championships - Women's 200m Freestyle S13 NA [15]
5 May 2019 SPH National Incl Swimming Championships - Women’s 50m Breaststroke SB13 NA [15]
25 July 2015 SPH National Incl Swimming Championship 1st [2]
14 July 2015 SPH National Incl Swimming Championships - Women's 50m Freestyle S12 1st [2][15]
14 July 2015 SPH National Incl Swimming Championships - Women's 100m Freestyle S13 1st [2][15]

ASEAN Para Games (2015 to 2022)

Date Tournament Placing Refs.
3 August 2022 11th ASEAN Para Games - Women’s 50M Freestyle S12 event 2nd [16]
3 August 2022 11th ASEAN Para Games - Women's 100m Breaststroke SB12 1st [16]
4 December 2015 7th ASEAN Para Games - Women’s 100m Freestyle 2nd [17]

SSA Swim Series (2016 to 2019)

Date Tournament Placing Refs.
18 January 2019 SSA Swim Series - Women's 200m Individual Medley SM13 NA [15]
29 January 2016 SSA Jan Time Trial - Women's 50m Backstroke S13 NA [15]

World Para Swimming World Series (2017 to Present)

Date Tournament Placing Refs.
19 February 2023 Citi Para Swimming World Series 2023 Melbourne - Women's 50m Breaststroke SB12 1st [18]
15 June 2022 Madeira 2022 World Para Swimming Championships - Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB12 Final 1 2nd [1]
14 June 2022 Madeira 2022 World Para Swimming Championships - Women's 50 m Freestyle S12 Heat 1 10th [1]
12 June 2022 Madeira 2022 World Para Swimming Championships - Women's 100 m Backstroke S12 Final 1 8th [1]
1 April 2022 Internationale Deustche Meisterschaften (IDM) Berlin Swim - 100m Freestyle Heats NA [19]
31 March 2022 Internationale Deustche Meisterschaften (IDM) Berlin Swim - Mixed 4 x 50m Individual Medley Relay 2nd [19]
12 - 22 June 2021 Internationale Deustche Meisterschaften (IDM) Berlin Swim NA [20]
14 September 2019 World Para Swimming World Championships - Women’s 100m Butterfly S12 Heat 1 11th [1]
12 September 2019 World Para Swimming World Championships - Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB12 Final 1 8th [1]
12 September 2019 World Para Swimming World Championships - Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB12 Heat 2 8th [1]
10 May 2019 World Para Swimming World Series - Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB13 NA [15]
15 February 2019 World Para Swimming World Series - Women's 50m Freestyle S13 NA
7 June 2018 Internationale Deustche Meisterschaften (IDM) Berlin Swim - Women's 50m Butterfly S13 3rd [21]
6-9 July 2017 Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaften (IDM) Berlin Swim NA [22]
 
Sophie Soon at the Madeira 2022 World Para Swimming Championships. Photo from Facebook.

SDSC Swim Trials (2020 to 2021)

Date Tournament Placing Refs.
19 January 2021 SDSC Swim Trial - Women’s 200m Individual Medley SM12 NA [23]
19 January 2021 SDSC Swim Trial - Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB12 NA [15]
8 December 2020 SDSC Swim Trial - Women’s 50m Breaststroke SB12 NA [24]
8 December 2020 SDSC Swim Trial - Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB12 NA [15]
8 December 2020


SDSC Swim Trial - Women’s 50m Butterfly S12

NA [15]

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games (2021)

Date Tournament Placing Refs.
1 September 2021 Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games - Women's 100m Breaststroke - SB12 Finals 4th [1]
1 September 2021 Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games - Women's 100m Breaststroke - SB12 Heats Qualified [25]
25 August 2021 Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games - Women's 100m Butterfly - S13 Heat 2 6th [1]
 
Sophie Soon competing at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Photo from Facebook.

Other competitions/events (2017 to Present)

Date Tournament Placing Refs.
29 April 2022 National Para Swimming Championships 2022 1st [26]
30 March 2021 Haw Par National Youth Para Swimming Championships 2021 - Women’s 50m Breaststroke SB12 New Record [27]
10 May 2019 Neo Garden 15th SNSC 2019 - Women’s 200m Breaststroke SB13 NA [15]
7 October 2018 3rd ASIAN Para Games - Women’s 100m Freestyle S14 NA [15]
9 August 2018 Pan-Pacific Swimming Championships - Women's 100m Butterfly S13 2nd [28]
3 March 2017 NSW State Open Championships - Women's 100m Backstroke S13 NA [15]

Media coverage

Represented Singapore at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games (2021)

In 2021, Sophie Soon participated in the Women's 100m Breaststroke SB12 and Women's 100m Butterfly S13 events, at the 2020 Paralympic Games.[1][3] In light of her debut as a paralympic athlete, Sophie was featured on several news outlets and digital sites, including The Straits Times, CNA, Youthopia, ActiveSG, Mediacorp Entertainment, and The Pride by the Singapore Kindness Movement.[3][7][29][30][31][32]

Among the features, Sophie shared that she had tried for the previous Rio 2016 Paralympics, but to no avail.[3] However, she did not give up and trained hard to qualify for the 2020 Games.

“There was no ‘What if I don’t make it?’ It became ‘I had to make it for Tokyo, period’.”[3]

Ultimately, the swimmer finished in 4th place for the Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB12 event, with a timing of 1 minute, 29.53 seconds.[1][3][29]

“What makes me happier was that there was a Singaporean crowd there cheering me on. I could here them cheering and screaming and I could hear how happy and excited they were after the race ended. I'm really happy to have done them proud and that they are happy about the race. It reminds me of why I'm a Team Singapore athlete and I want to represent my country here. It is a big honour that I can do so here at the Tokyo Paralympics."[29]

Received a complaint from fellow passenger due to use of guide dog on the MRT (2022)

On 28 November 2022, Sophie Soon was featured on AsiaOne Online for a dispute over her guide dog, Orinda.[33] On 7 November 2022, Sophie Soon took to TikTok to share about a case of alleged discrimination she faced in public. According to the swimmer, a passenger complained about a previous train ride where she encountered Sophie and her guide dog. The passenger in question expressed her fear that Orinda might “suddenly attack” her and her child.[33]

In response, Sophie posted a TikTok where she raised more awareness about the laws and regulations that permitted the use of guide dogs on public transport and other spaces in Singapore.[33]

Dispute with cafe staff over alleged discrimination of guide dogs (2023)

In 2023, Sophie Soon sparked some controversy after taking her dispute with a cafe online. The issue was covered by several news outlets, including The Straits Times and Mothership.[4][5][6] It also went viral on TikTok, with searches for her name garnering over 38.3 millions as of March 2023.[34]

Posting a video of her confrontation with Rocky Master staff

In March 2023, Sophie Soon posted a video on Facebook, which showed her and her mother being refused entry into the Rocky Monster cafe, and instead asked to sit outside its premises for the time being.[4] This was due to the presence of Sophie’s guide dog, Orinda. The staff member involved also stated that they would be filing a police report if Sophie shared the video online.[4]

The mother-daughter pair were only allowed to dine-in after half an hour, with the following strict instructions:[4]

  • The dog must be leashed.
  • The dog must not be fed.
  • There is to be no complaints from customers.

In response, the para swimmer argued that guide dogs undergo thorough training before being exposed to public settings and besides restaurant kitchens and surgery rooms, it is legal to patronise public spaces with her guide dog.[4] Despite it being a halal-certified eatery, guide dogs are also legally allowed in restaurants by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment.[4]

“This happens practically every time I visit a new restaurant, which is a few times a week. It’s always the same when I go to a restaurant I haven’t been to before, where the staff on the ground have to check with management, and then I have to end up waiting 10 to 15 minutes.”[4]

 
Screenshot of Sophie Soon’s apology video. Photo from Facebook.

Apologising for filming and sharing the confrontation online

In a Facebook Reel, Sophie Soon apologised for the way she handled the dispute, expressing that she did not intend for the “chaos and hatred” or backlash on any parties.[6] Sophie has since removed the previous Facebook post.[4]

“I just want to express my greatest apologies and sorrys to all of you. It was a poor move and poor judgement on my part for thinking that this is the way to resolve discrimination issues instead of trying to bring light to this in a more positive manner, or in a way that would garner better responses and to not cause so much chaos and hatred among the community."[6]

Guest appearances on YouTube

You Got Watch’s Spill It (2021)

On 26 November 2021, Sophie Soon was featured on an episode of Spill It, where she touched on topics like inclusiveness, para sports, and misconceptions about the Paralympics alongside para powerlifter Nur Aini.[35]

ZULA Perspectives (2022)

On 3 November 2022, Sophie Soon appeared on an episode of ZULA Perspectives, where guests discussed meeting significant others as a disabled person and dealing with hurdles they might face along the way. She and her boyfriend, Raphael were among the 3 interabled couples interviewed for the episode.[36]

“Officially, I only had one relationship where we actually called each other boyfriend girlfriend. But it didn’t last very long. In terms of getting to know guys and being in a long term conversations with them, like talking to them for a long time, and like possibly getting into a relationship, [my disability] never really posed as an issue.”[36]

References/Citations

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 International Paralympic Committee. “Sophie Jin Wen Soon”. International Paralympic Committee. n.d. Accessed 13 March 2023.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Team Singapore. “Sophie Soon Jin Wen”. Team Singapore. n.d. Accessed 13 March 2023.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Yu, Jane. “Paralympics 2020: “I dived in and everything went wrong”. The Pride. September 10, 2021. Accessed 13 March 2023.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 Raguraman, Anjali. “Paralympic swimmer Sophie Soon in stand-off over guide dog at Rocky Master outlet in Hougang”. The Straits Times. March 12, 2023. Accessed 13 March 2023.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Raguraman, Anjali. “Paralympian Sophie Soon’s dispute with cafe sheds light on guide dog users’ daily challenges”. The Straits Times. March 15, 2023. Accessed 13 March 2023.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Kwa, Alfie. “S'pore Paralympic swimmer apologises after filming dispute over guide dog in cafe”. Mothership. March 12, 2023. Accessed 13 March 2023.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Mohan, Matthew. “'Everyone is equal in the pool': Visually impaired siblings overcome odds to earn success for Singapore”. CNA. December 19, 2021. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Team Singapore. “Colin Soon Jin Huang”. Team Singapore. n.d. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  9. ↑ ZULA. “Interabled Couples On Meeting The One & Dealing With Insensitive Questions | ZULA Perspectives”. YouTube. November 30, 2022. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  10. ↑ Great Eastern. “Adviser”. Great Eastern. n.d. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  11. ↑ sophsoon. “sophsoon”. Instagram. September 20, 2022. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  12. ↑ Yuen Teng, Ho. “Poly student wins award for special achievement despite visual impairment”. The New Paper. February 4, 2016. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  13. ↑ Soon, Sophie. “Sophie Soon”. Facebook. n.d. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  14. ↑ Soon, Sophie. “Sophie Soon”. LinkedIn. n.d. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  15. ↑ 15.00 15.01 15.02 15.03 15.04 15.05 15.06 15.07 15.08 15.09 15.10 15.11 15.12 Singapore Disability Sports Council. “Para Swimming National Record (Long Course)”. Singapore Disability Sports Council. n.d. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Singapore Disability Sports Council. “Singapore Disability Sports Council”. Facebook. August 7, 2022. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  17. ↑ Team Singapore. “Team Singapore”. Team Singapore. December 4, 2015. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  18. ↑ Singapore Disability Sports Council. “Singapore Disability Sports Council”. Facebook. February 19, 2022. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Singapore Disability Sports Council. “Singapore Disability Sports Council”. Facebook. April 1, 2022. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  20. ↑ sophsoon. “sophsoon”. Instagram. June 26, 2021. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  21. ↑ sophsoon. “sophsoon”. Instagram. June 15, 2018. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  22. ↑ sophsoon. “sophsoon”. Instagram. July 10, 2017. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  23. ↑ Singapore Disability Sports Council. “Singapore Disability Sports Council”. Facebook. January 20, 2021. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  24. ↑ Singapore Disability Sports Council. “Singapore Disability Sports Council”. Facebook. December 9, 2020. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  25. ↑ Singapore Disability Sports Council. “Singapore Disability Sports Council”. Facebook. August 25, 2021. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  26. ↑ Singapore Disability Sports Council. “Singapore Disability Sports Council”. Facebook. May 5, 2022. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  27. ↑ Singapore Disability Sports Council. “Singapore Disability Sports Council”. Facebook. April 22, 2021. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  28. ↑ sophsoon. “sophsoon”. Instagram. August 15, 2018. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Kwek, Kimberly. “Paralympics: S'pore's Sophie Soon 4th in SB12 100m breaststroke final”. The Straits Times. September 1, 2021. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  30. ↑ Phoon, Jia Hui. “Unperturbed by disabilities, national para swimmer Sophie Soon strives to make the best out of any situation”. Youthopia. January 12, 2021. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  31. ↑ Kumar, Raj. “Tokyo 2020 : A 12-year dream comes true for TeamSG Para-Swimmer Sophie Soon, on her Paralympic debut!”. ActiveSG. August 23, 2021. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  32. ↑ Entertainment - Mediacorp. “Representing Singapore is Para Swimmer Sophie Soon's biggest motivation | Paralympics 2020”. YouTube. August 20, 2021. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 Teo, Melissa. “After passenger's complaint, Paralympic swimmer Sophie Soon explains her guide dog is allowed on MRT train”. AsiaOne. November 28, 2022. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  34. ↑ TikTok. “Sophie Soon | TikTok Search”. TikTok. n.d. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  35. ↑ You Got Watch. “Paralympics Are Not as Competitive!? On Inclusiveness & Injuries | SPILL IT”. YouTube. November 26, 2021. Accessed 20 March 2023.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 ZULA. “Interabled Couples On Meeting The One & Dealing With Insensitive Questions | ZULA Perspectives”. YouTube. November 3, 2022. Accessed 20 March 2023.
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