Mother of 2 overcomes fitness, personal trials to be first woman to join elite police team

But she told herself to press on, despite her exhaustion.

When asked what was it like to be the only woman training with a troop of men, she said: “Of course, I was not the fittest. At times, I was the slowest, but I kept running and I would try to overtake the man running in front of me.

“The men were all very friendly and some would check on me.”

Beyond physical fitness, ASP Ko said she also contributed to her troop with her experience and intellect in handling different scenarios.

As a first-time mother, ASP Ko also had to deal with her daughter’s illness.

When the girl was four months old, doctors found a cancerous tumour inside one of her kidneys. Before she celebrated her first birthday, the girl had both kidneys removed and had undergone chemotherapy. The girl, now four, spent seven or eight months in hospital with her parents always by her side.

ASP Ko said: “Of course, I was sad. At first, I wondered why is this happening and did I do something wrong?”

But she and her husband, Mr Benjamin Alexander Chua, did not dwell on their sadness and were kept busy by their daughter’s treatment and dialysis.

Dialysis was a nightly affair for their daughter for about three years until Mr Chua, a 34-year-old public servant, donated one of his kidneys to her in October 2023.

He said of his decision to donate his kidney: “My wife had two caesarean deliveries, so I didn’t think it’s fair for her to go under the knife for the third time.”

The couple said their daughter, who used to be lethargic before the transplant, is now energetic and chatty. The couple also have a two-year-old son.

Mr Chua said of his wife’s achievement: “I’m very proud of my wife as it can be very difficult for females in a male-dominated environment, and she has to earn the respect of men much younger than her. She is a very resilient and down-to-earth woman.”

ASP Ko said she could not have completed the course without her husband’s support, for she had to stay in camp during training on weekdays. A domestic helper and her mother-in-law also helped her husband look after their two young children.

ASP Ko has this message for other women who are thinking of joining the police or even the SOC: “Don’t be afraid. Take it one step at a time and you will get there eventually.

“Follow your heart.”