Singapore Swimming Record Holder Amanda Lim on Sustaining Elite Performance and Mindset | #QQP85
In this episode of The Quinntessential Questions Podcast, Paul Quinn sits down with Amanda Lim, a national swimmer for Singapore of 20 years who simultaneously works full-time as a Senior Consultant in EY's People Consulting practice. From pushing through 10 grueling swim sessions a week as a teenager to setting the Singapore women’s 50m free national record at the age of 33, Amanda shares the relentless dedication required to balance an elite sporting career with the intense demands of the corporate world.
She opens up about the pivotal moment her father gave her a decisive ultimatum to attend the Singapore Sports School, how she broke into Big 4 consulting with zero corporate HR experience, and the profound grief of navigating her father's stage-four cancer diagnosis just as she relocated to Australia to train for Olympic qualification. Amanda also gets candid about the realities of seeking athletic sponsorships in Singapore, managing her frustration on bad training days by literally screaming underwater, and why she feels her journey in the pool is still far from over.
Whether you're struggling to balance a demanding career with personal ambitions, looking to optimize your own high-level performance, or seeking inspiration on resilience through grief, this conversation offers an unfiltered look into the mind of one of Singapore’s most enduring athletes.
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Introduction
(01:07) Amanda's Dual Life: National Swimmer & EY Senior Consultant
(05:00) Breaking into Big 4 Consulting with a Sports Science Degree
(08:06) The Ultimatum: Choosing the Singapore Sports School
(11:12) The Grueling Reality of 10 Swim Sessions a Week
(17:15) Setting the National Record & Hitting a Personal Best (24.94s) at 33
(24:39) Stress, Weight Loss, and the Impact of a Major EY Project
(28:53) Training in Australia During Her Father's Cancer Diagnosis
(31:08) The Realities and Struggles of Athletic Sponsorships in Singapore
(35:12) Changing Her Training Philosophy: Finding Rhythm and Flow
(46:47) Dedicating Her SEA Games Gold to Her Late Father
(51:25) Future Ambitions: Expanding Sports Consulting at EY
(56:50) Balancing Two Demanding Lives: The "Half-Year" Priority Rule
(58:36) Dealing with Frustration and Screaming Underwater
(01:04:37) Embracing a Strong, Muscular Female Physique
(01:07:29) Role Models, Ambitions, and What's Next for Amanda
Bio
Amanda Lim is one of Singapore’s most accomplished athletes and Southeast Asia’s fastest woman in water, celebrated for a career spanning over two decades at the highest level of competitive swimming. A 21-time SEA Games gold medallist and long-time sprint freestyle champion, Amanda has represented Singapore internationally while simultaneously building a corporate career as a Senior Consultant at Ernst & Young. She is a respected voice on high performance, resilience, longevity, and sustainable success, combining elite sporting insights with real-world corporate experience.
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