The 5 SG Heroines of Singapore Women’s Festival 2023

Mar 3, 2023

Choo Ling Er, 35

Photo credit: Hart@Tomato Photo

Triathlete Choo Ling Er made an impressive comeback to half-Ironman racing five months after giving birth, winning the overall female title at Ironman 70.3 Langkawi in November 2022. The race involved swimming 1.9km, cycling 90.1km and running 21.1km. Despite concerns about her hip and knee joints, Choo persevered and completed the race in 4hr 47min 29sec, ahead of 67 other competitors.

Choo started her training a month after giving birth, focusing on strength and conditioning before gradually building her endurance up to 18-22 hours of weekly swimming, cycling, and running. She faced many challenges and moments of doubt, but her dedication and hard work paid off.

Choo’s accomplishment goes beyond personal achievement. She hopes to inspire other women to pursue their dreams and goals even after giving birth. She said, “If you have a target, as long as you set your mind to it and keep doing the work, you will eventually reach your goal.”

Congratulations to Choo Ling Er on her impressive performance and for inspiring women everywhere!

Follow Ling Er on these platforms: Facebook | Instagram

Churen Li, 27

Photo credit: Churen Li

Churen Li is a 27-year-old contemporary classical pianist and composer redefining what it means to be a classical musician. Her passion for pushing the art form’s boundaries has led her to enthral audiences with renditions of music greats, from Frédéric Chopin to Lady Gaga. Churen’s success as a pianist is undeniable, having won multiple international competitions and performed in countries worldwide. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at 19, becoming the youngest of her cohort, and went on to get a master’s degree in music from Yale University and one in philosophy from Cambridge University.

In 2021, Churen held more than 80 solo concerts, but she still strives towards a longtime goal. She wants to push the limits of what classical musicians can do while improvising and making the art form more inclusive and creative. Her experiments have ranged from performing a classical concert at Zouk Singapore in 2018 to co-producing a cabaret show in the UK that brought together musical theatre, pop, and classical music.

Churen’s debut album as a composer, ‘Ephemory’, showcases her unique ability to meld different musical influences into a new aural world, breaking away from the fixed view of what is “correct” in the classical music scene. She wants to redefine what it looks like to be a classical musician, especially in Asia and the 21st century.

“I believe there needs to be room for vibrant expressions of experimentation with a pianistic tradition of 300 years – through fashion, experimenting with concert traditions in classical music, innovative programming, etc,” says Churen.

Recently, Churen opened the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s 2022/23 season with Grieg’s Piano Concerto, which was a huge honour for her. She is launching her album of piano compositions, hoping to push musical boundaries further.

“It’s an exciting time for me,” says Churen. “I wouldn’t say I’m “transitioning” per se because composing has always been something that I do. But I suppose the album makes it more “real”. My local and Asia teams have plans for how to take this forward, so please keep a lookout for a few exciting projects we have up our sleeves in the next year.”

Churen Li is a force to be reckoned with in contemporary classical music. Her passion for experimentation and ability to meld different musical influences create a unique and vibrant sound that excites and inspires music lovers worldwide.

Follow Churen on these platforms: Facebook | Instagram

Charlotte Mei, 30

Photo credit: Charlotte Mei

Charlotte Mei is a well-known figure in nutrition and eco-conscious living. A trained nutritionist, Charlotte has dedicated her career to promoting nutrition literacy and helping people develop healthier relationships with food. She has delivered over 200 workshops on women’s nutrition, supplementation, and early childhood nutrition.

Through her Instagram and TikTok accounts, Charlotte shares practical tips and easy-to-follow recipes to help busy working adults eat healthier. Her cooking workshops are also very popular, giving participants hands-on experience in preparing nutritious meals.

In addition to her work in nutrition, Charlotte also advocates for environmental sustainability. She shares tips for reducing one’s ecological footprint, including composting and maintains an Eco Database of conscious brands and organisations. She has also worked with clients to showcase their sustainable efforts, including a hotel’s food waste program, discussions on Singapore’s Green Plan, and promotion of local produce.

Charlotte’s TEDx talk combines her interests in nutrition and sustainability, emphasising the importance of the relationship between our dietary choices and the health of our planet. She recently launched her podcast “In A Bite”, where she dispels nutrition myths and misconceptions and provides listeners with tools to make better decisions around food. You can listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

Born to French and Chinese heritage, Charlotte is currently based in Singapore. She continues to inspire her followers with her passion for nutrition and eco-conscious living, encouraging people to lead healthier and more sustainable lives.

Follow Charlotte on these platforms: Facebook | Instagram

Priya Madan Mohan, 54

Photo credit: Priya Madan Mohan

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone, but it has been especially tough on foreign workers in dormitories. That’s why Priya Madan Mohan, an ex-senior finance executive, stepped in to become a “mum” to migrant workers in Singapore. She contacted the Alliance of Guest Workers Outreach (AGWO), a non-profit working for the welfare of migrant workers, and started volunteering for their feeding programme. Priya quickly mobilised a group of 15 volunteers, which later became known as Dorm Mums, to help ensure that over 10,000 workers were provided with more than 1 million meals during quarantine. When the pandemic stabilised, Priya launched Dorm to Home, a project aimed at sprucing up the workers’ dormitories to make them more comfortable.

Today, the Dorm Mums initiative has grown to almost 100 active volunteers. Priya also launched the Soft Skills Enhancement Programme (SSEP) in September 2021, aimed at creating learners and improving knowledge and skills among migrant workers. Priya is also actively involved in Women Empowerment & Sustainability initiatives, having served as the Diversity & Culture Ambassador & Promoter of Sustainability & Fitness at her workplace. Through her hard work and dedication, Priya has made a significant difference in the lives of migrant workers, showing that the community cares about them.

Follow Priya on these platforms: Facebook | Instagram

Julie Jahayer, 50

Photo credit: Hart@Tomato Photo

Meet Juliana Jahayer, the founder of Julie Bakes, a Muslim-owned bakery famous for its modern cakes infused with traditional flavours. Julie started her baking journey as a hobby for her family and friends, which later became her newfound passion. She left her corporate job in 2016 and rallied her siblings, who were homemakers at the time, to join her in this venture.

Julie’s love for baking stems from her late mother, an excellent baker and cook. At seven, Julie began helping her mother sell homemade delicacies around their Kampong, where she got acquainted with the variety of traditional Malay kuih.

With Julie Bakes, Julie aims to create an awareness and appreciation for traditional flavours among the younger generation by infusing cakes with local ‘kueh’ flavours. Some of her signature cakes include Onde Onde, Pengat Pisang, Puteri Salat, Badak Berendam, Pulut Hitam, and many more. Julie Bakes offers home-styled bakes from its bakery at 28 Bussorah Street, at the heart of Malay heritage.

Besides serving its delicious cakes to customers, Julie Bakes caters to corporate, school and community events. The bakery has participated in various events like the National Cancer Centre (NCCS) internal fundraising donation drive, Delta Air Lines care & scholarship fund event, among others.

Julie Bakes has gained a solid following and reputation for its unique and flavorful cakes. Juliana Jahayer’s passion for baking has inspired many who share the same love for traditional flavours in modern cakes.

Follow Julie on these platforms: Facebook | Instagram