In the grand story of Singapore’s sporting history, Glory Barnabas shines as one of the brightest names. A woman who never planned to be an athlete, she became one of the most iconic sprinters of her generation, winning medals for the nation and inspiring thousands with her resilience, humility, and relentless pursuit of excellence.
Glory Barnabas: The Unexpected Beginning
Glory Barnabas’s journey into athletics began purely by chance in 1963. Then a trainee teacher, she was asked to step into the Teachers Training College’s 4x100m relay team at the last minute when one runner fell ill. She had never trained seriously before, but she ran her heart out—and helped her team win. Watching from the sidelines was the late athletics coach Tan Eng Yoon, who instantly recognised her raw talent. He took her under his wing, and thus began the extraordinary career of a woman who would go on to bring home glory for Singapore.
Rising with Singapore’s Golden Generation
The 1960s and 70s marked a golden era for Singapore athletics, and Glory Barnabas was at its heart. Competing in the Southeast Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games from 1965 to 1975, she became a household name. The 1973 SEAP Games in Singapore remain one of the most defining moments in her career.
That year, the Singapore track and field team stunned the nation with six gold medals. For Glory, the highlight came in the women’s 200m final against the much-feared Than Than from Burma. Despite trailing for much of the race, Glory unleashed her trademark determination in the final 100 metres, lunging forward at the finish line. It took almost half an hour before the results were announced—it was a photo finish. Glory Barnabas had clinched the gold for Singapore, right on home soil.
“It was my most memorable race,” she recalled, “because it was about proving that we could rise above expectations and deliver for our country.”
Glory Barnabas: Balancing Teaching and Running
Beyond the track, Glory Barnabas was equally passionate about teaching. Starting her career at Charlton Primary and Mountbatten Primary, she later won a British Council scholarship to study at Chelsea College of Physical Education in Britain. On her return in 1972, she became a Physical Education and English teacher, imparting not only athletic skills but also life lessons to her students.
From Willow Avenue Secondary to Tampines Junior College, Katong Convent, Springfield Secondary, and Changkat Changi, she influenced countless young lives. Even after retirement, she continued to serve as an adjunct teacher, staying true to her first love—nurturing young minds.
A Lifetime of Sporting Glory
What makes Glory Barnabas truly remarkable is that she never stopped competing. In 1987, she won gold in the 200m at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Melbourne. As she aged, she switched from sprinting to field events like long jump and high jump, proving that age was never a barrier.
In 2013, at the age of 70, she won gold in the high jump and silver in the long jump at the Asia Masters. In 2019, she repeated the feat, winning gold and silver again in Kuching, Sarawak. Even at the age of 78, she was still soaring—clinching another high jump gold at the 2020 Masters Championships.
Today, as the President of the Singapore Masters Athletics, Glory continues to champion active living and lifelong sportsmanship.
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