Two-time SEA Games triathlon gold medallist Kimbeley Yap represented Malaysia across swimming, cycling and triathlon before embracing Hyrox. (Theevya Ragu @ FMT Lifestyle) KUALA LUMPUR: Twelve years after a road accident left her in an eight-day coma and mere millimetres away from paralysis, two-time SEA Games gold medallist Kimbeley Yap has added another title to her name - Hyrox champion. The global fitness race, which combines endurance running with functional strength exercises, has grown rapidly since its launch in Germany in 2017.
As Malaysia prepares to host its first Hyrox event this December, the Sarawak-born athlete is one to watch. On June 28, Yap and partner Letchumi Sinadurai clinched the Women's Doubles 45-49 title at Hyrox Jakarta, completing the race in one hour, nine minutes and 47 seconds. Their performance made them the seventh-fastest women's doubles team across all age categories at the event.
They are now ranked 86th in the world in their category, making them the only Southeast Asian duo in the global top 100. FMT Lifestyle recently spoke with Yap about a lifetime in sport - from representing Sarawak at age seven to standing on the Hyrox podium decades later. The 46-year-old is one of Malaysia's most accomplished multi-sport athletes, having won SEA Games swimming bronze medals in 2001 and 2003 before claiming back-to-back triathlon gold medals in 2005 and 2007.
The road accident that occurred in 2014 left Yap in a coma for eight days and unable to walk for months. (Kimbeley Yap pic) She later became Malaysia's national road cycling champion in 2011 and represented the country at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. When she was six, Yap's mother enrolled her in swimming lessons.
It didn’t take long for her talent to shine through: after winning an interschool competition, she went on to represent Sarawak at just seven years old. "I was always moving from one sport to another. I think I was the only Malaysian athlete who represented the country in so many different disciplines," she shared.
After years of intense competition, Yap took a break from racing to focus on becoming a trainer. But in 2014, while cycling on the Penchala Link, her life changed in an instant. A car struck her from behind, sending both her and her bicycle flying.
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