Gymnastics coach Zhu Xiaoping dies after battle with cancer

SINGAPORE – Despite battling with Stage 4 colon cancer in 2015, gymnastics coach Zhu Xiaoping still led the national rhythmic gymnastics team to a first-ever gold medal at the South-east Asian Games that year which was held on home soil.

However, Zhu, who was honoured with a Special Award for Fortitude from the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) last year, could not win her fight against cancer in the end. The 56-year-old died on Thursday morning (Jan 19) at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

Zhu’s husband, gymnastics coach Lin Zhenqiu, said in a statement: “Our family is deeply saddened to inform you that my wife passed away in her sleep Thursday, 5:05am. As many of you know, she had been suffering from cancer for some time. We are relieved that her passing was peaceful and painless.”

Zhu had rescheduled her chemotherapy treatment till after the Singapore Sports Awards in June to receive her award, but according to her daughter Vanessa Lin, the family stopped treatment after it proved ineffective. The former coach had been warded at SGH since November after suffering from breathlessness and fluid in her lungs.

“She was very uncomfortable, she couldn’t talk, or eat, and had no energy…but she was still conscious (at the end),” said the 28-year-old, who works as a client account manager.

“It will take a while for us (to come to terms with it). My mum was a strong woman, and she said ‘don’t be sad for me’. Either way (if she lived or died), she would be nearer to God, or she would stay with us.
“She said she was happy and had no regrets in life.”

In 2013, Zhu, who is from Jiangxi, and later became a Singapore citizen, was diagnosed with colon cancer after experiencing severe stomach pains during an overseas work trip, and underwent three surgeries on her colon and liver.

During her recovery, she was approached by Singapore Gymnastics to help coach the national team after the previous coach had resigned abruptly a few months before the SEA Games.

Despite suffering from fatigue and weakness, she coached the team of Dawne Chua, Noelle Goh, Edlyn Ho, Ann Sim and Alison Tang up to six times a week and eventually led them to a first-ever SEA Games title in the group all-around.

Zhu’s dedication and professionalism, which was widely reported in the press, was applauded by many Singaporeans.

Her story also moved S.League outfit Hougang United Football Club who donated S$50,000 to her family to help with her medical bills amounting to some S$400,000.

Members of the local gymnastics fraternity were present at Zhu’s wake last night, including members from the SEA Games gold-medal winning team. Most were in tears.

Chua, who was vice-captain of the team, said Zhu was a “very affectionate” coach who cared a lot for her charges. The 19-year-old, who is currently working as a part-time gymnastics coach, started training with Zhu when she was in Secondary 1.

“She was strict, but outside of training, she really cared about us,” she said. “The fact that she came back to train us even though she was sick was very respectable. She was struggling with her illness, but she didn’t want us to see it so it wouldn’t affect our training.

“A huge part of our gold medal is due to her. People didn’t think we would win, but she believed in us and that was really everything. She had this mantra, it’s hard work, not talent. She rewarded us when we put in effort and that made us want to train harder.”

Tang, 17, said Zhu had stepped in to guide the team during one of their lowest moments. “We were very disheartened when our coach quit about four months before the SEA Games, and we didn’t know if there would be a group event at the Games.

“She kept encouraging us, and if she hadn’t stepped in to help, we wouldn’t have had a chance to compete. We were all shocked to hear of her passing, and I had planned to visit her on Sunday. This is a very big loss for gymnastics.”

National gymnast Tong Kah Mun who competed in the individual all around at the SEA Games said Zhu’s strength, as well as her concern for her charges, would be missed.

“As a coach she was very strict, but she was clear about her expectations so you knew what to work towards,” said the first-year undergraduate at the National University of Singapore.

“She was a very strong person, and even though she was down with cancer, she didn’t show it to us.”

Singapore Gymnastics President Choy Kah Kin called Zhu’s passing a huge loss to the community. “We are very sad to lose her, she was a very good coach, very upright person in whatever she did. When there was a need, she came in and put everything into it. She had a strong sense of responsibility.”
 

(Coach Zhu, left, and SNOC president Tan Chuan-Jin. TODAY file photo)

SNOC president Tan Chuan-Jin paid tribute to Zhu as he offered his condolences to her family

“I am saddened to learn that coach Zhu Xiaoping left us this morning,” said the Social and Family Development Minister

“Her selfless dedication to our athletes and sports was recognised at the Singapore Sports Awards last year when she received a special award for her fortitude. Even in sickness, she was an example in fighting hard and never giving up.

She will be remembered and missed by many.”

Former national gymnast Miki Nomura also paid tribute to her coach of four years. She wrote on Facebook: “The woman who changed my life and never gave up on me. I used to dread every single day of training because of the expectations she had and the physical training she put us in, it felt like torture.

“But as I grew older and retired competitively I realised it was all for the better. She taught me to be hungry, to bite the bullet, to understand that talent without hard work is nothing, and to chase our dreams no matter what.”

A memorial service will be held for Zhu on Friday (Jan 20) at 8pm at Blk 403, Fernvale Lane, in Sengkang. The cortege will leave for Mandai on Saturday (Jan 21) at 8am.