Kimbeley’s inspiring journey back to the winner’s podium

 Twelve years after a crash nearly ended her sporting career, this former SEA Games champion has conquered Hyrox and looks forward to more.

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. She suffered severe head and leg injuries and was placed in an induced coma for eight days.

“All I remember is taking my bicycle out that morning and leaving the house,” she said.

Yap hopes to build on her Jakarta triumph when Malaysia hosts its inaugural Hyrox event this December. (Kimbeley Yap pic)

“Later, when I had an MRI, I found out I was just 2mm away from a spinal injury. If that doctor had not held my neck, I could have been paralysed.”

An emergency doctor who happened to be passing the accident scene had stopped to help, holding her neck in place until the ambulance arrived.

While Yap fought to recover, her family faced their own trauma. Her father, who was working offshore at the time, was even mistakenly told she had not survived the accident.

Yap’s mindset gradually shifted after realising she had survived something far worse. “I stopped seeing myself as someone with a broken body, and started seeing it as a second chance,” she said.

Once accustomed to running, cycling and swimming at the highest level, Yap found herself undergoing rehabilitation before finally being able to walk unaided six months after the accident – just in time to walk down the aisle at her wedding.

For Yap, this December’s event won’t just be another race – it’s another chapter in a comeback that once seemed impossible. (Kimbeley Yap pic)

Much of her recovery was also shaped by the people around her, especially her mother, a nurse.

“My mum was always optimistic. While I was in the hospital, she told me, ‘Don’t be surprised if you are cycling again in two weeks.'”

She eventually returned to fitness as a trainer a gym in Kuala Lumpur. Her journey back to competition began with hybrid fitness races before eventually leading her to Hyrox.

Today, she has discovered a new love for the sport. “That feeling of being on the podium again was almost like confirmation that OK, you can still do this!”

Yap is currently preparing for Hyrox Malaysia on Dec 12 and 13. She plans to compete in the singles category while bringing a team from her workplace along to take part.

For her, the biggest victory is simply being back on the starting line. “Your story doesn’t have to end because something bad happened,” she said.

“In Sarawak, we say, ‘Agi idup agi ngelaban’ – as long as I live, I will fight. That carried me through swimming, triathlon, cycling, the accident, and now Hyrox.” - FMT

Follow Kimbeley Yap on Instagram.