Singapore – Even though thousands of athletes have passed through this course. AIA Hirox Singapore On April 5th, it was impossible to miss Carolyn Soemarjono on the course at the National Stadium.
Wearing a blue singlet with polka dots and a name tag that read “Grandma Hyrocks,” the 57-year-old cancer survivor stood out with a headband featuring pink wool curlers and a faux pearl necklace, all in the spirit of her nickname.
Competing in her second Hyrocks Singapore competition, the Australian grandmother-of-two tackled each station with a smile on her face even as she began to look tired, ultimately completing the women’s open race in 2 hours 56 seconds and finishing third in the 55-59 age group.
“When you’re racing, it’s nice to get feedback from the crowd, but they won’t give you feedback if you keep your head down,” the Singapore permanent resident said of her set-up and cheerful demeanor during the grueling race.
“They’ll only give you feedback if you’re doing something stupid or smiling. So for me, that’s positive energy.”
But this exuberance for the professional photographer was in stark contrast to a year ago, when he was struggling with his mental health during a stressful period in his life.
She was dissatisfied with her appearance and how she felt after gaining weight, and a medical exam also revealed high levels of visceral fat (dangerous, metabolically active fat stored deep in the abdominal cavity that surrounds internal organs such as the liver and intestines) and revealed that she was pre-diabetic.
The turning point came when Body Fit Training (BFT) Tanglin Gym opened near her home.
Soemarjono initially attended classes two to three times a week, but enjoyed the sessions so much that she started going to the gym six days a week.
Over time, she lost 10 kg. But apart from becoming healthier, she also found a community.
“At first, it was just going and working out. Then it became more of a social aspect. It was also a positive thing for people in the gym to inspire each other,” she said.
“Then going to High Rocks was on another level. It was a community goal and interest, all of which was based around providing a positive mental health feeling.”
Soemarjono then attended the first Hyrox event in Singapore last November.
Carolyn Soemaljono pulls a sled during the High Rocks Singapore held at the National Stadium on April 5th. The 57-year-old has participated in three High Rocks events since November 2025.
Photo: Mark Chong
He had previously competed in marathons and half marathons, but took a break after the 2011 Tokyo Marathon.
Several months later, the then 42-year-old underwent extensive medical testing after experiencing persistent fatigue, bloating, and unusual changes in his appetite.
Tests revealed a cancerous ovarian cyst, and she underwent a hysterectomy followed by six months of chemotherapy.
She eventually started participating in running events again, but other commitments put her fitness on the back burner for a while, and she started exercising again a year ago.
Soemarjono has been to three High Rocks events and was also at the Bangkok event two weeks ago. Soemarjono wants to challenge stereotypes about aging.
She herself draws inspiration from athletes in their 60s and 70s who competed on the sports entertainment and reality game show American Ninja Warrior.
“There’s a mental image that people have of people in their 50s: I can now lift heavier weights than I’ve ever lifted in my life, just like I can become a grandma and be super healthy, develop muscles and get stronger,” she said.
Yvonne Chee, one of the 14,500 participants at the three-day event, also hopes to positively impact others through her fitness journey. The number of participants exceeded the 10,395 participants at the November event.
The 46-year-old Singapore representative, who has been running marathons for 20 years, suffered a bone stress injury in his left calf in January 2025 and was forced to take a two-month break from running.
Marathon runner Yvonne Chee was one of 14,500 participants at Hyrocks Singapore, which was held at the National Stadium from April 3 to 5.
Photo: LIANHE ZAOBAO File
She started strength training with BFT, and out of curiosity, she signed up for Hyrox and decided to compete in a women’s doubles event with a friend.
“I was really focused on running the marathon, but since I couldn’t run anymore, I thought I’d try something new,” she said.
“I always tell people, ‘Don’t try, you don’t know,’ don’t deny something until you try. I had been strength training, so I thought I could put that to good use.”
However, when her friend withdrew due to injury, Chi competed individually in the women’s open event held at Hirox Taipei in April 2025 and came first in the 45-49 age group.
Since then, Standard Chartered’s government affairs professionals have competed in Hyrocks events in India, Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Australia.
At Hirox Singapore, she competed in four events: women’s doubles (35-39), mixed doubles (40-44 and 45-49), and team relay (over 40s).
She said, “The beauty of Hyrox is that it’s not like running, where you train to go faster, but you have to balance the strength-endurance aspects of each station. So it’s very addictive to want to improve in different areas and train for that.”
Chi, who has two daughters aged 8 and 11, wants to show that mothers can pursue their passions too, with the necessary discipline and prioritization.
She trains early in the morning before work, but evenings are sometimes reserved for family, training, and evening work meetings.
“Especially as a mom with a career, sometimes you feel like you’re getting old and you don’t have the time, but once you start, you can make time for the things that are important to you,” she said.
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