Singapore’s most decorated Paralympian, swimmer Yip Pin Xiu, announced her engagement on Dec 11.
Sharing photos of the proposal by her boyfriend Bruce Boo, 33, on Instagram, she said: “Did 2024 get just even better?”
She noted that he had prepared a speech but got nervous as he went down on his knee and “couldn’t remember a word of it”.
“But it didn’t matter to me,” she added. “This man so openly and generously expresses his love at every chance in our lives that at this moment, he did not need any words for me to understand him.
“With you, I can be softer yet more steady. I have space to be myself, I feel safe and seen. I am unequivocally happy. We are in our fiance era... time for us to plan a party!”
Commenting on Yip’s post, Boo, who is a pilot, said: “Baby I never thought I would ever be lucky to even have met you in my life, let alone call you my love. Cent’ Anni (100 years in Italian).”
It certainly has been a brilliant 2024 for Yip, who in August retained her women’s 50m and 100m backstroke S2 with her triumphs at the Paris Paralympics. She is Singapore’s most successful athlete at the Games, winning seven golds and a silver across five editions.
In November, she went on to claim her fourth straight Sportswoman of the Year award – and fifth overall – at the Singapore Disability Sports Awards.
This article was originally published on The Straits Times.