Dr William Tan, known as the “Singapore Paralympic Superman,” contracted polio at age two and has been paralysed from the waist down. Despite this, he pursued his dream of becoming a scientist and physician, graduating with First Class Honours in Physiology and earning scholarships to Harvard and Oxford. He also trained at the Mayo Clinic in the United States. An accomplished athlete,

Dr Tan is a triple gold medalist at the Asia Para Games and competed in the 1988 Seoul Paralympics, the World Games, and the Commonwealth Games. He holds six endurance marathon world records, including completing three marathons in three consecutive days across three countries. For over two decades, Dr Tan has dedicated himself to fundraising for charitable causes worldwide, raising over $18 million. His fundraising efforts have included extreme challenges such as wheelchair ultramarathons across multiple countries, skydiving, water-skiing, and climbing buildings. He was the first person to complete a wheelchair marathon at the North Pole and set a record for completing seven marathons across seven continents in a wheelchair in just over 26 days. In 2009, he was diagnosed with stage 4 leukemia.

Turning adversity into purpose, he advocated for cancer patients during his treatment. After a bone marrow transplant, he made an inspiring comeback to competitive sports in 2010, achieving personal bests and winning a gold medal at the Singapore Marathon. His battle with leukemia deepened his compassion as a physician and strengthened his commitment to serving humanity.