One man swam 60 km to mark his 60th birthday. Another team of 26 swimmers clocked 1,120 km together. But neither was chasing a podium finish; they were swimming for something bigger.
For Tommy Ang, this year’s SAFRA Swim For Hope was a chance to challenge himself while raising funds for charity. For Team Xenial Yellowfin, it was an opportunity to bring friends and fellow swimmers together in pursuit of a shared cause. Their approaches were different, but their belief was the same: every individual effort counts when it contributes to something greater.
These swimmers’ stories capture the spirit of SAFRA Swim For Hope 2026, which raised a record-breaking sum of over $320,000 for six beneficiaries supporting youths at risk and people with disabilities. Held from 3 August to 17 October, the 16th edition brought together close to 5,600 national servicemen and their families, who swam at facilities islandwide while raising funds through registration fees, corporate contributions and personal fundraising.
Beyond the kilometres covered and donations collected, the event showed how a simple act of swimming could build camaraderie, strengthen community bonds and make a tangible difference in the lives of others.
This year’s challenge was particularly meaningful for Tommy Ang. The Director of Membership Services at SAFRA was named the event’s top individual fundraiser after raising an impressive $9,288.
Tommy’s connection with SAFRA Swim For Hope dates back to its inaugural edition in 2011, when SAFRA Tampines organised the event and he was serving as its Club Manager. He has since taken part in swim events following that for fitness and fun, but in this year’s edition, he decided to take on a personal challenge of his own.
A former NSman, Tommy signed up for the Individual 55 km category to push himself beyond his usual swimming routine. Although he enjoys swimming, he does not consider himself a competitive swimmer, preferring to take things at his own pace.
“Signing up for 55 km is really about setting myself a personal challenge,” he shared. “I wanted to choose something that would take me outside my comfort zone and require some commitment and perseverance.”
Rather than following an intensive training programme, Tommy gradually increased his swimming frequency before settling into a routine of approximately 2 km per session, at least five times a week. His approach was simple: focus on consistency rather than speed, and let the kilometres add up.
Finding the time required some adjustments, including cutting back on social functions and lunch appointments. But he saw these as necessary choices to honour his commitment.
Turning 60 this year also gave him another reason to push further. Instead of stopping at the original 55 km target, he decided to complete 60 km to mark the milestone.
“Completing 60 km at 60 made the journey that little bit more special for me,” he said.
For Tommy, the achievement was not about competing against others, but discovering what could be accomplished through discipline and perseverance.
Tommy initially signed up to challenge himself, but soon saw an opportunity to make every kilometre count for something more. He began by reaching out to family and friends before extending his fundraising appeal to colleagues. Their enthusiastic response left him both surprised and touched.
“I did not set out with the intention of becoming the top fundraiser,” he explained. “I was simply hoping that my family, friends and colleagues would support the cause and encourage me in my 55 km challenge.”
To make the fundraising more engaging, he invited supporters to pledge $5, $10 or $20 for each lap he swam, giving them a tangible connection to his progress. The experience reinforced his belief that people are often willing to support a good cause when approached sincerely. Every contribution became a source of encouragement, motivating him to keep swimming even when work and other commitments made it difficult.
“Every contribution, regardless of the amount, felt like a personal vote of encouragement,” he said.
Raising $9,288 was therefore more than a personal fundraising milestone. It represented the collective goodwill of everyone who had rallied behind his challenge.
This year’s six beneficiaries were President’s Challenge, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS), SAF Care Fund, Singapore Aquatics Development Fund, The Salvation Army and The Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf).
Knowing that his efforts would ultimately help people in need gave the challenge a greater purpose. For Tommy, giving back does not always require grand gestures. A personal goal can become an opportunity to raise funds, while a simple appeal can inspire others to contribute.
As he put it, “Every lap may be an individual effort, but together, our efforts can make waves for better lives.”
If Tommy’s journey illustrates the impact one person can make, Team Xenial Yellowfin demonstrates what happens when individual efforts come together. The 26-member team, comprising SAFRA members and current and former NSmen, collectively clocked an impressive 1,120 km during this year’s event.
The group began in 2022 with 10 members who completed 370 km. After expanding its participation in subsequent editions, nine members swam 888 km in 2024, followed by 10 members who clocked 768 km in 2025. This year, the team grew after members of another previous SAFRA Swim For Hope team, Ebbimen, joined them. They also invited more friends to participate, bringing together a larger group united by a shared interest in swimming.
Their motivations were straightforward: to maintain a healthy lifestyle, contribute to charity and challenge themselves to improve on previous performances. Rather than setting a rigid team target, members contributed whatever distances they could manage within their individual schedules and physical limits. Some aimed to surpass their previous distances, while others focused on doing their best for the team.
Coordinating swims was not always easy, as members lived in different parts of Singapore and had varying work schedules. A common chat group helped them stay connected, with members sharing swimming tips, announcing planned sessions and keeping one another updated on pool closures and the haze situation.
When the entire team could not meet, smaller groups arranged their own swims. Beyond the pool, regular meals, mooncake gatherings and open-water swimming sessions provided opportunities to strengthen friendships.
These interactions were particularly valuable for newer members who had not known everyone before joining. Through shared training experiences and conversations about fitness, the group gradually developed a stronger sense of belonging.
The highlight came when members gathered for group photographs with their medals at the end of the challenge, celebrating both their collective achievement and the friendships forged along the way.
For Team Xenial Yellowfin, the experience also echoed the camaraderie many NSmen develop during National Service.
Members recognised that everyone had different capabilities. Those who could swim further helped boost the team’s overall distance, while others worked towards their personal goals. The team also made a point of celebrating individual achievements and cheering members on when they recorded personal bests.
These shared responsibilities reflected the values of “one for all, all for one” and leaving no one behind.
Although swimming together differs from serving alongside fellow servicemen, the underlying principles remain relevant: trust one another, contribute according to one’s abilities and recognise that collective success depends on everyone playing a part.
The experience also demonstrated the spirit of Social Defence, one of Singapore’s pillars of Total Defence, which emphasises unity and looking out for one another.
With members from different nationalities and backgrounds, the team found common ground through a shared purpose. Their contribution was not defined by how far each person could swim, but by their willingness to support one another.
This mutual care extended to everyday interactions, from sharing updates on swimming conditions to reminding teammates to balance performance goals with their personal health.
Such gestures may seem small, but they reflect how a resilient society is built through everyday acts of consideration, encouragement and responsibility.
For both Tommy and Team Xenial Yellowfin, SAFRA Swim For Hope offered a compelling reason to stay active while contributing to the wider community.
Whether completing 60 km in the year of one’s 60th birthday or helping a team clock 1,120 km, swimming provided a tangible goal. Fundraising gave these achievements an additional purpose by connecting personal fitness efforts with the needs of others.
The event’s reach extended well beyond these two stories. Close to 5,600 national servicemen and their families participated this year, including more than 4,300 Full-Time National Servicemen, NSmen and Regulars from the Republic of Singapore Navy, which provided strong support for the initiative.
Teams of up to 70 swimmers also collectively completed 250km, while 148 participants in the Families for Life parent-and-child category took the opportunity to bond through the challenge.
These different forms of participation showed how people could contribute in ways that suited their abilities and circumstances, whether by setting personal targets, swimming with friends or involving their families.
For Tommy, connecting fitness with a meaningful cause gives people another reason to participate and allows friends, colleagues and loved ones to share in the journey.
Team Xenial Yellowfin similarly believes that initiatives like SAFRA Swim For Hope make it possible to pursue fitness goals while balancing careers and other responsibilities. SAFRA’s facilities and activities also provide opportunities for NSmen to stay active, maintain friendships and remain connected to the wider community beyond their years of service.
For Tommy, the biggest takeaway from this year’s challenge was the realisation that people are capable of more than they sometimes imagine. A daunting target becomes achievable when broken into manageable steps and approached with discipline.
For Team Xenial Yellowfin, the experience reinforced the importance of pushing personal limits while recognising that everyone has a role to play in a collective achievement.
Their stories offer an encouraging message to those who want to contribute to the community but feel their individual efforts may be too small to make a difference.
One does not need to swim 60km, raise thousands of dollars or assemble a team of 26 people. A small donation, a few hours of volunteering or supporting a friend’s fundraising effort can also make a difference.
As Team Xenial Yellowfin puts it, the advice to fellow NSmen and SAFRA members is simple: “JUST DO IT!!!”
At the event’s finale at SAFRA Mount Faber, Minister of State for Defence and President of SAFRA Desmond Choo presented the mock cheque to the six beneficiaries, marking the culmination of weeks of swimming, fundraising and community participation. “Our commitment to Singapore goes beyond defending our nation. It is also about caring for others, nurturing compassion in the next generation, and contributing to a stronger community,” he said.
It is a sentiment that captures the essence of SAFRA Swim For Hope. Whether through an individual’s perseverance or a team’s collective determination, every lap becomes an opportunity to do something meaningful for others.
And when thousands of swimmers come together for a common cause, their efforts can create ripples that extend far beyond the pool.
Photos: SAFRA, Tommy Ang and Team Xenial Yellowfin
