SINGAPORE – In the shimmering blue expanse of the Anglo-Chinese Junior College swimming pool, about 30 young swimmers take turns to do their laps every Saturday morning.
One of them stands out.
Moza Baihakki, 12, fearlessly plunges into the water, propelling herself forward with only her left arm.
The daughter of former national footballer Baihakki Khaizan and actress-singer turned entrepreneur Norfasarie Mohd Yahya was born with part of her right arm missing due to a rare congenital condition known as amniotic band syndrome.
While it meant that she has had to learn to deal with difficulties performing daily tasks like tying her shoelaces, it has not stopped her from dreaming big.
With unwavering resolve, Moza’s eyes are set on a glittering prize: A gold medal at the Paralympics someday, just like the Republic’s Yip Pin Xiu, who has won five.
She hopes to achieve that not just for herself but also to show that one’s disability should not limit the size of one’s dreams.
On her competitive debut on March 23, she also got her first taste of what it feels like to win gold in swimming. Not only did she clinch three races at the Inter-School Para Swimming Championships, which were part of the national championships, but she also broke the women’s 50m breaststroke SB9 national record.
Moza clocked 1min 00.8sec at the OCBC Aquatic Centre to eclipse Janelle Tong’s mark of 1:04.92 set in 2020. She also won both the 50m freestyle and backstroke.
Outlining her ambitions of winning gold at the Paralympics, Moza told The Sunday Times: “It is a really big dream of mine and it would also mean that I am representing the disabled community.
“(I want to) show that disabilities can’t stop us… we’re still human, we can still do the same things. It’s just that we have a slight barrier; we just need a bit of assistance.”
A Singapore Disability Sports Council spokesperson said it is excited about Moza’s national championship debut, adding that it will continue to encourage and support her as she strives to realise her potential in the coming years.
The St Margaret’s School student has developed an affinity for sports since young. Encouraged by her father, she explored football and athletics before discovering her passion in the pool.
Introduced to swimming at the age of six by her grandfather, Moza found a sanctuary where she could not only unwind but also flourish.
She said: “Swimming has allowed me to become much more confident as a person. I can tell people I am a swimmer and sometimes they will be quite shocked. Because how can you swim with only one arm? And I can somewhat show them.
“I’ve learnt to become tenacious, and also quite independent.”
Moza’s thoughts of becoming a Paralympian came about when she and her parents were watching a video of Joseph Schooling winning his historic 100m butterfly gold at the 2016 Olympics.
As her love for swimming blossomed, a family friend, who is also a swimming coach, identified her potential and advocated for a more dedicated approach to training.
After weighing up several options, Moza joined the APS Swim School, founded by Olympian Ang Peng Siong, in March 2023.
The school’s programme manager, Noel Yang, described Moza as an “unpolished diamond” who takes training seriously, adding: “With the right training environment and with time, she will shine when she is ready.”
While Baihakki, 40, keeps Moza’s ambitions strong with constant motivational talk of what it takes to succeed at the highest level, mum Norfasarie provides much-needed emotional balance and sometimes plays the role of physio.
Moza, who has one older and two younger siblings, said training can be quite tiring and her mum will help with a massage.
Fighting back tears recounting how Moza has always showed that she wants to be independent despite her disability, Norfasarie, 41, said: “I’m very proud as her mum... We want her to inspire other people who have disabilities. We want other kids with disabilities to know and think that if Moza can do it, so can I.”
