SMU School of Social Sciences undergraduate Yip Pin Xiu has been awarded The Straits Times' (ST) Star of the Month for September, an award that is an extension of ST's Athlete of the Year accolade launched in 2008. Both are backed by F&N's 100Plus. Pin Xiu, who was recognised for winning two golds at the Rio Paralympics and inspiring Singaporeans, spoke about her struggles leading up to the September extravaganza.

She said: "Everyone thought I was confident going into Rio. I was confident, but at the same time I had doubts. There was immense relief because I won two golds, but at the same time there's also this super overwhelming feeling you get because of the support from Singaporeans,” she said. She added that she wanted to create a positive impact in society, that as long as you have a dream, set your mind to it and persevere, one day you'll get there.