William Tan | |
---|---|
Born | 1957 (age 65–66) Singapore |
Nationality | Singapore |
Alma mater | Oxford University, Harvard University |
William Tan (born 1957) is a neuroscientist, medical doctor, paralympian and motivational speaker. He was the first person to complete a marathon in the North Pole in a wheel chair.
Tan was born in Singapore. He contracted polio when he was 2 years old, which caused him to be paralysed from the waist down. [1] He studied at Raffles Institution, and in 1980 he applied to the University of Singapore's medical school, but was not accepted. [2] Instead, Tan entered the university as a science undergraduate, majoring in biology and psychology. [3] In 1989, he embarked on postgraduate studies, pursuing a master's degree in physiology at Harvard University where he graduated with first class honours as a Fulbright scholar. [4] While in the United States, he pursued a research fellowship in neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic. [2] In 2002, he pursued a second master's degree in social work and social policy from the University of Oxford under a Chevening scholarship. [5] He also holds a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Newcastle University and a doctorate of philosophy in neuroscience from the University of Auckland. [2] [6]
In 2009 he was diagnosed with stage 4 leukemia, and doctors gave him 9 to 12 months to live. However, through aggressive treatment his cancer went into remission. [7]
Tan competed in the 1988 Seoul Paralympics. He was disqualified from two events for lane violations, because his homemade wheelchair could not drive straight. [8] He competed in the Asian-Pacific games, where he won three gold medals, the World Games and the Commonwealth Games. [4] He holds multiple world records, including fastest marathon in a wheelchair across the seven continents, [9] and first person to complete a marathon in a wheelchair on the North Pole. [7] He has taken part in over 100 marathons. [1] [10]
Tan also plays badminton competitively. [7]
Tan uses marathons and other physical challenges as a means to raise money for charity. Events include hand-cycling from London to Paris and participating in ultramarathons. [1] In total he has raised over 18 million dollars for charity. [7] He received the Commonwealth Point of Light award for his fundraising. [1]
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