It’s not just the money

The feats of SMU School of Social Sciences undergraduate Yip Pin Xiu and her team-mate Theresa Goh at the recent Paralympics have re-ignited the debate on whether para-athletes deserve the same prize money as their able-bodied counterparts. While Pin Xiu and Theresa are thankful for those who have supported them and would welcome parity on that front, they said the ultimate goal is for their achievements to be recognised in the same bracket as Olympic athletes. Pin Xiu, with three Paralympic golds (two earned this year and one in 2008), said: "Some people say it's (the Paralympics and) not as competitive but they don't see the value behind the sport, like how training is as tough, (or) that we work as hard. They just look at the result.” She also said prize money was never on her mind when she won gold medals in the 100m backstroke S2 and 50 backstroke S2 events in Rio, adding that she did not even think about it before the Paralympics.