2005 Women and Sports Award Recipient

Ms. Lim Chiew Ah

“Against the pressures and pessimism of modern day living, the spirit of sportsmanship which captures the spirit and essence of fairness, tolerance and understanding remains the essentials drive that pushes us through disappointments and adversities of daily life.

The Women and Sports Award by the Olympic Council signifies the importance of this spirit of sportsmanship that women share in sports. The award serves as a catalyst to further the development and spirit of sports for women for the general good of all.”

Ms. Lim has brought prestige to Malaysia’s as one of the country’s most outstanding and determined female athletes. When Wushu first became part of the South East Asian (SEA) Games in 1991, Madam Lim, at the age of 49, represented Malaysia in the Wushu events in Manila. A year later, in May 1992, she won a gold medal in the Taijiquan (Women) competition of the World Grand Wushu Festival in Shanghai, China. She is one of the 3 recognized students of Master Yang Zhen Duo outside China.

Ms. Lim has been spearheading a number of initiatives to promote Wushu both in Malaysia and abroad. She is the Vice President for the Wushu Federation of Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan and is involved in a global lobbying initiative for Wushu to be included as a sport in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

After Ms. Lim Chiew Ah retired from competitive Taiji, she continued to work tirelessly for the sport. She was the Team Leader of the Kuala Lumpur Wushu Team for both the 17th national Wushu Competition held in Genting Highlands in 2002 and the National Day Art of Self Defense Competition held in UPM in 2001. She is also currently the Wushu coach for the Kuan Cheng Girls School in Kuala Lumpur.

In the international scene, her contributions include being Malaysia’s only representative in the First World Taiji Quan and Health Conference in hainan in 2001, and represented Malaysia in the 2002 Seoul Asia games and in the tenth anniversary of Shanxi Yang Style Tai Chi Quan back in 1992 (in which she performed) and leading the Malaysian delegation to the Second Shanxi traditional Yang style Tai Chi Chuan International Competition in 2002.

Due to her growing international fame and her reputation as a strong and patient communicator, she is often invited by Wushu organizations from foreign countries to provide various forms of professional assistance. She conducted talks, seminars and workshops in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and Chinese Art Centre, Manchester in 2000, demonstratedand taught the traditional style of Yang Shi Taijiquan in Australia in 1984 and the 42 Style Yang Shi Taijiquan (International Competition set) in Canada in 2000.

Being a mother to three children, she had to strike to the right balance between her family duties and community work. She has proven to be successful in both having raised three children (her daughter is now a doctor in England and her sons work in the financial industries in Hong Kong and Singapore and will pursuing an MBA degree in Columbia University soon).