PSSA 2001 - Individual Category Award Winner

Dr William Tan Kian Meng

Dr William Tan regularly gets on his racing wheelchair for marathon pushes, climbs multi-storey buildings and performs tandem parachute jumps, all for the sake of generating awareness of the less fortunate and raising funds for worthy causes.

In 1987, Dr Tan, then 30, embarked on his first fund-raising drive by pushing his wheelchair non-stop for 16 hours on the running track of his alma mater, Raffles Institution. Since then, he has progressed to many more innovative and daunting activities. He is also a motivational speaker, inspiring individuals such as students and business leaders, as well as organisations, in community involvement.

A paraplegic himself, Dr Tan has helped to reshape and rebuild the lives of many patients affected by paralysis. Fourteen years ago, he started a support group to help newly disabled patients, now known as the Spinal Support Group, run by the younger disabled. More recently, Dr Tan established the Women’s and Children’s Healthcare Foundation to improve the welfare and health of children, youth and families.

Dr Tan greets life’s unfortunate setbacks and challenges with grace and vibrancy. He chooses to focus on his abilities and not disabilities.

Dr Tan’s perseverance is legendary. For example, during his home visits to the many disabled residing in HDB flats that were not on lift-landings, he would sit on his bottom and drag his wheelchair up the flight of stairs to reach their flats. During his fund-raising push across the length of New Zealand, he struggled on his wheelchair up Arthur’s Alps (the most hilly slope in the south island of New Zealand), refusing the offer to be driven across. And despite the loss of his cancer-stricken father last year, he completed his pushes from Segamat in Malaysia to Singapore, which helped raise funds for kidney patients.

Over the past 15 years, despite his busy career as a medical researcher, Dr Tan has devoted time, effort and money to help the less fortunate. He continues to do so. Come next June, he will push his wheelchair from Melbourne to Newcastle, to raise funds for cancer patients in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.

This President’s Social Service Award is a testimony to the valiant heart and indomitable spirit of Dr Tan.

Other PSSA 2001 winners: