At 24, the achievements Singaporean Paralympic swimmer Yip Pin Xiu has attained for our country are unprecedented in all of our sporting history.

At the Paralympics, the highest-possible level of competitive para-sport, and the para-equivalent of the Olympic Games, Yip has already clinched two gold medals (the first one for her, and for Singapore, was in 2008, by the way).

Oh, did we forget to throw in her multiple world records? And the fact that each time she shaves time off her records, it's not by decimals of a second, it's by multiple seconds.

Despite all this, in her first comments post-win, Today reported that she is aware of quite a number of people who have played down her achievements, especially when her 2008 gold medal was raised in the wake of Joseph Schooling's historic Olympic gold-medal win:

“I really have to say thank you to all these people who have been supporting us and fighting for us. It’s nice that a lot of people want equality for us (para-athletes) and, of course, we hope for that too.

But I think, at the same time, there are also people being negative and saying that (my Paralympic gold medal) cannot be compared (to Schooling’s Olympic gold) because they don’t think para-sports is the same as able-bodied sports.

My answer to (critics) is that we put in the same amount of effort to get to where we are and it’s not easier being in para-sports. (emphasis ours)

So, people who are comparing are missing the point here. Because sports has the ability to unite people. Joseph’s gold medal brought Singaporeans together. Hopefully, with this Paralympics gold medal, it would also be able to do the same. That’s the magic of sports.”

What we should ask, therefore, is why her gold medal was being raised in the wake of islandwide celebrations of Schooling's gold medal.

The reason is simple: in 2008, none of us saw her arriving home to a hero's welcome. Yip didn't receive a water jet salute, a victory parade or a million Krisflyer miles; neither did she receive a lifetime's supply of free flights from AirAsia, nor were full-page ads taken out in the papers to conveniently ride on celebrate her achievement.

In fact, if not for the fact that her 2008 Paralympic gold medal was raised as a point at a time when people were talking about international sporting achievements by Singaporeans, thousands of Singaporeans would not even have known about its existence.

That's also why now, with heightened awareness of her past and latest achievement, as well as with what will hopefully be her third later this week, people are now applying pressure on the same corporations who took out ads and carried out promotions to celebrate Schooling's victory to congratulate her in a similar fashion.

And we're glad — it's a great thing for Singaporeans to be rooting for Yip, as well as her fellow para-athletes who are still competing in the ongoing Rio Games (see how to follow their events here). And we hope their incredible victories will be recognised and celebrated just as much as Schooling's historic one.

And you should also read Today's full interview with her on her race and her achievement here.

In case you want to know why we're making such a big deal out of Yip's sporting success:

Before Joseph Schooling’s Olympic Gold medal, there was Yip Pin Xiu

Public: ‘Remember, put Yip Pin Xiu in front of photo’. SIA: ‘Thank you for your feedback’

2016 Paralympic Games Gold medallist Yip Pin Xiu competing again on Friday, Sept. 16 at 6.50am

Yip Pin Xiu clinches gold at Paralympics, setting two world records in one race

Top photo from Getty Images.

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