James Wong is arguably Singapore's most successful Track and Field athlete at the SEA Games. In a stunning sporting career spanning 1987 to 2013, he amassed a total of 16 medals (10 of which were gold) at the premier Southeast Asian sporting event.
In January 2023, he was diagnosed with Stage 2 Bile Duct Cancer which rocked his world and shook him out of his blissful existence.
This book details his battle against cancer, drawing from lessons and strengths gained from his quarter of a century as a competitive athlete to aid him in his struggle.
“As President of the SNOC, I followed James' remarkable achievements not just on the field, but also their wider impact on sports in Singapore. His journey is an inspiration to a new generation of Singaporean athletes, as they seek to advance Singapore athletics on the world stage. James' life story, and particularly how he dealt with cancer, is a powerful reminder that the values we learn through sports, are equally applicable to many of life's toughest challenges.”
—Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, Former President, Singapore National Olympic Council (1998–2014)
“Sports Excellence in 1993/94 was seeking heroes to champion our ambitious goals to win more medals at SEA and Asian Games. James Wong, our star sportsman then, became our role model for many years thereafter. He inspired countless young budding athletes in many sports through his discipline, dedication, determination and fighting spirit. Today, James remains true to form in his personal battle to fight against cancer. A great Singapore champion.”
—COL (Retired) Kwan Yue Yeong, Ex-Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Sports Council
“James Wong has taken the brave step to share his cancer battle with others through this book which chronicles his cancer journey, inspiring hope to others who are battling cancer and paying tribute to the community that supported him alongside his sporting successes. He has reached out to the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) offering to donate part of the proceeds from the sales of the book to support those impacted by cancer. SCS commends James for his bravery in sharing his cancer story and stepping forward to join SCS in the collective fight against cancer.”
—Albert Ching, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Cancer Society
“I have known James since 1993. We were actually from the same school — Pasir Panjang Secondary School. Of course I was there in the 1950s, much earlier than him. James has really distinguished himself at the SEA Games winning nine discus gold medals across two-and-a-half decades. His name has become synonymous with the event locally and regionally! I am really looking forward to reading this book, especially knowing that it is written by Kenneth, a fellow athlete.
—C Kunalan, Former Vice-president, Singapore Athletics Association (2010–2016)
Kenneth Khoo was a former captain of the Singapore athletics team who had competed in the SEA Games from 2003 to 2015, winning a bronze medal in the 4x400m sprint relay in 2011.
Telling inspirational stories of athletes is his personal hobby and he has contributed articles about athletes and their stories to a number of online media and print publications.
In 2017, he took his dream one step further when he wrote Running on Empty: The Story Behind 0.01s, a biography of Singapore's former fastest man UK Shyam which was published by Ethos Books.
