When the inaugural Valkyrie Race flags off at OCBC Square this weekend, on May 10 and 11, it will be more than just a competition where participants pit their strength and endurance against each other.
For its 29-year-old founder Kimberley Yong, the all-women’s fitness race is a way to reach out to women struggling with self-doubt or feelings of inadequacy – and show them that they are stronger than they think.
Designed to test endurance, strength and resilience, the Valkyrie Race challenges participants across multiple zones, each with structured challenges.
In the Storm division, they tackle five zones in any order: Air bike (40kcals) and 10m balancing beam (with 15kg weight plate), row (500m) and ball toss (8kg), stationary bike (1,000m) and dumbbell lunges (60m, 10kg on each side), ski (500m) and dead-ball carry (25kg), and lateral burpees (30 repetitions) and torque tank push (100kg).
The Valour course ups the ante with an added running segment.
Even so, the race isn’t just about physical grit. “I wanted this race to inspire women who are struggling – maybe they’re recovering from something, or just starting out a fitness journey,” said Yong, referencing the race’s slogan, The Warrior Within.
“People often think that being a warrior means being physically strong. But to me, the deeper meaning behind it is about finding inner strength and pushing through hardship.”
Having battled hyperthyroidism since she was 12 years old, Yong speaks from experience. Her mother and grandmother also struggled with thyroid issues.
Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid – the butterfly shaped gland in front of the neck – produces too much thyroid hormones. This can accelerate the body’s metabolism, triggering symptoms that interfere with daily life.
Before her relapse in 2024, Yong was at peak fitness levels, participating in multiple races overseas and in Singapore, such as the Buff Forest Force Run. (Photo: Kimberley Yong)
According to the American Thyroid Association (ATA), women are five to eight times more likely than men to have thyroid problems. Left untreated, hyperthyroidism can increase the risk of serious complications such as atrial fibrillationand heart failure.
Yong was diagnosed after blacking out during a sprint on Sports Day in school. She also had other symptoms such as frequent bowel movements and excessive sweating.
“I was going to the toilet four to six times a day and sweating like crazy,” she recalled. “My school uniform was soaked all the time. At first, my mum thought I was just being a kid, sweaty from running around.”
Some people with hyperthyroidism may also experience fast heart rate, heat intolerance, hand tremors, weight loss despite a healthy appetite, anxiety, hair loss, sleep disruptions or changes in energy levels, according to the ATA.
For over 10 years after her diagnosis, Yong was on medication to keep her condition in check. In 2021, she was able to go off medication.
A year later, she embarked on a fitness journey, initially as a way to beat boredom during the COVID-19 pandemic. “When everything opened up after Covid, I joined a gym and that community really pushed me,” she said.
By 2024, Yong felt the strongest she had ever been, and had signed up to participate in races in Singapore and overseas.
All that changed after a trip to Italy in September that year. She started having hand tremors, fast heart rate even while at rest or sleeping, and sudden weight loss of 5kg within two weeks. A medical check-up confirmed that her hyperthyroidism had returned.
“I cried,” Yong said. “I know it’s not a terminal condition, but I think the shock really hit me because the symptoms just came out of nowhere this time round.”
Yong discovered her hyperthyroidism relapsed after her trip to Italy in September 2024, after experiencing hand tremors, fast heart rate and drastic weight loss. (Photo: Kimberley Yong)
The relapse dealt a heavy blow to the 29-year-old who had spent the previous two years building her strength and fitness.
When she returned to the gym for the first time after her relapse, Yong was hit hard by how far her performance had declined. Her sudden drastic weight loss also led to a significant drop in her muscle mass.
“I felt like everything vanished overnight,” she told CNA Women. “Anyone who is into fitness will know it’s not easy. Even to run five seconds faster, it might take three months of training.
“Before I relapsed, I could do maybe 10 to 12 push-ups but after the relapse, I couldn’t even do one – I felt incredibly sad.”
As she struggled with her thyroid symptoms and decline in fitness levels, Yong was filled with self-doubt. For a while, she questioned if she should continue with her fitness regimen at all.
But instead of stepping back, she decided to move forward. With her doctor’s approval, she competed in Hyrox Hong Kong and the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon.
Note that it is advisable for people with medical conditions, including hyperthyroidism, to get the green light and advice from their healthcare team before starting or resuming an exercise regimen. In Yong’s case, she took precautions during intensive exercise, such as not pushing herself beyond a certain heart rate limit to avoid over-taxing the heart.
Yong completing the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. To rebuild her fitness and muscle mass after her relapse, she went back to her training basics and focused on a high-protein diet. (Photo: Kimberley Yong)
“Physically, I was still able to do the races – it was just how fast or slow I was. So I went back to basics, and did my best in three weeks to rebuild strength I had lost,” Yong said.
Upon crossing the finishing lines, she realised, “Really, there’s nothing you cannot do”.
It is that same sense of empowerment that Yong hopes every participant in the Valkyrie Race will experience. The approximately 200 women taking part range from those in their twenties to a 56-year-old, all of whom started out at varying fitness levels.
A community workout to help participants prepare for the Valkyrie Race 2025; Yong is in the centre (in a cap), holding the flag. (Photo: Kimberley Yong)
“Before my relapse, I was so caught up with the superficial numbers, chasing the best timing, and so on. What true strength means to me now is staying strong even when you’re feeling weak,” said Yong.
Race participants can choose to tackle the various zones in any order, based on a flexible format that allows them to customise the experience based on their strengths and challenges.
Yong preparing for the inaugural all-women’s Valkyrie Race on May 10 and 11, 2025. (Photo: Kimberley Yong)
For Yong, who also runs marketing and events agencyLoudHailer Media and is a certified personal trainer, Valkyrie Race is just the beginning of a larger vision.
She hopes to build a supportive community where women from all walks of life feel empowered to embark on their own fitness journey and reclaim self-belief. There are also plans to bring Valkyrie Race overseas and start a podcast focused on women-related issues.
As participants cross the finish line this weekend, Yong hopes they experience the “feeling of overcoming”.
“Regardless of whether they were dealing with an illness or not, it’s about overcoming something – either the challenge of the race itself, or the thought that they couldn’t do it. But here they are, at the finish line.”
CNA Women is a section on CNA Lifestyle that seeks to inform, empower and inspire the modern woman. If you have women-related news, issues and ideas to share with us, email CNAWomen [at] mediacorp.com.sg.
Continue reading...
For its 29-year-old founder Kimberley Yong, the all-women’s fitness race is a way to reach out to women struggling with self-doubt or feelings of inadequacy – and show them that they are stronger than they think.
Designed to test endurance, strength and resilience, the Valkyrie Race challenges participants across multiple zones, each with structured challenges.
In the Storm division, they tackle five zones in any order: Air bike (40kcals) and 10m balancing beam (with 15kg weight plate), row (500m) and ball toss (8kg), stationary bike (1,000m) and dumbbell lunges (60m, 10kg on each side), ski (500m) and dead-ball carry (25kg), and lateral burpees (30 repetitions) and torque tank push (100kg).
The Valour course ups the ante with an added running segment.
Even so, the race isn’t just about physical grit. “I wanted this race to inspire women who are struggling – maybe they’re recovering from something, or just starting out a fitness journey,” said Yong, referencing the race’s slogan, The Warrior Within.
“People often think that being a warrior means being physically strong. But to me, the deeper meaning behind it is about finding inner strength and pushing through hardship.”
HER STRUGGLES WITH AN OVERACTIVE THYROID
Having battled hyperthyroidism since she was 12 years old, Yong speaks from experience. Her mother and grandmother also struggled with thyroid issues.
Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid – the butterfly shaped gland in front of the neck – produces too much thyroid hormones. This can accelerate the body’s metabolism, triggering symptoms that interfere with daily life.
Before her relapse in 2024, Yong was at peak fitness levels, participating in multiple races overseas and in Singapore, such as the Buff Forest Force Run. (Photo: Kimberley Yong)
According to the American Thyroid Association (ATA), women are five to eight times more likely than men to have thyroid problems. Left untreated, hyperthyroidism can increase the risk of serious complications such as atrial fibrillationand heart failure.
Yong was diagnosed after blacking out during a sprint on Sports Day in school. She also had other symptoms such as frequent bowel movements and excessive sweating.
“I was going to the toilet four to six times a day and sweating like crazy,” she recalled. “My school uniform was soaked all the time. At first, my mum thought I was just being a kid, sweaty from running around.”
Some people with hyperthyroidism may also experience fast heart rate, heat intolerance, hand tremors, weight loss despite a healthy appetite, anxiety, hair loss, sleep disruptions or changes in energy levels, according to the ATA.
For over 10 years after her diagnosis, Yong was on medication to keep her condition in check. In 2021, she was able to go off medication.
A year later, she embarked on a fitness journey, initially as a way to beat boredom during the COVID-19 pandemic. “When everything opened up after Covid, I joined a gym and that community really pushed me,” she said.
By 2024, Yong felt the strongest she had ever been, and had signed up to participate in races in Singapore and overseas.
A RELAPSE SHOOK HER CONFIDENCE
All that changed after a trip to Italy in September that year. She started having hand tremors, fast heart rate even while at rest or sleeping, and sudden weight loss of 5kg within two weeks. A medical check-up confirmed that her hyperthyroidism had returned.
“I cried,” Yong said. “I know it’s not a terminal condition, but I think the shock really hit me because the symptoms just came out of nowhere this time round.”
Yong discovered her hyperthyroidism relapsed after her trip to Italy in September 2024, after experiencing hand tremors, fast heart rate and drastic weight loss. (Photo: Kimberley Yong)
The relapse dealt a heavy blow to the 29-year-old who had spent the previous two years building her strength and fitness.
When she returned to the gym for the first time after her relapse, Yong was hit hard by how far her performance had declined. Her sudden drastic weight loss also led to a significant drop in her muscle mass.
“I felt like everything vanished overnight,” she told CNA Women. “Anyone who is into fitness will know it’s not easy. Even to run five seconds faster, it might take three months of training.
“Before I relapsed, I could do maybe 10 to 12 push-ups but after the relapse, I couldn’t even do one – I felt incredibly sad.”
FINDING STRENGTH AGAIN
As she struggled with her thyroid symptoms and decline in fitness levels, Yong was filled with self-doubt. For a while, she questioned if she should continue with her fitness regimen at all.
But instead of stepping back, she decided to move forward. With her doctor’s approval, she competed in Hyrox Hong Kong and the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon.
Note that it is advisable for people with medical conditions, including hyperthyroidism, to get the green light and advice from their healthcare team before starting or resuming an exercise regimen. In Yong’s case, she took precautions during intensive exercise, such as not pushing herself beyond a certain heart rate limit to avoid over-taxing the heart.
Yong completing the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. To rebuild her fitness and muscle mass after her relapse, she went back to her training basics and focused on a high-protein diet. (Photo: Kimberley Yong)
“Physically, I was still able to do the races – it was just how fast or slow I was. So I went back to basics, and did my best in three weeks to rebuild strength I had lost,” Yong said.
Upon crossing the finishing lines, she realised, “Really, there’s nothing you cannot do”.
It is that same sense of empowerment that Yong hopes every participant in the Valkyrie Race will experience. The approximately 200 women taking part range from those in their twenties to a 56-year-old, all of whom started out at varying fitness levels.
A community workout to help participants prepare for the Valkyrie Race 2025; Yong is in the centre (in a cap), holding the flag. (Photo: Kimberley Yong)
“Before my relapse, I was so caught up with the superficial numbers, chasing the best timing, and so on. What true strength means to me now is staying strong even when you’re feeling weak,” said Yong.
Race participants can choose to tackle the various zones in any order, based on a flexible format that allows them to customise the experience based on their strengths and challenges.
Yong preparing for the inaugural all-women’s Valkyrie Race on May 10 and 11, 2025. (Photo: Kimberley Yong)
For Yong, who also runs marketing and events agencyLoudHailer Media and is a certified personal trainer, Valkyrie Race is just the beginning of a larger vision.
She hopes to build a supportive community where women from all walks of life feel empowered to embark on their own fitness journey and reclaim self-belief. There are also plans to bring Valkyrie Race overseas and start a podcast focused on women-related issues.
As participants cross the finish line this weekend, Yong hopes they experience the “feeling of overcoming”.
“Regardless of whether they were dealing with an illness or not, it’s about overcoming something – either the challenge of the race itself, or the thought that they couldn’t do it. But here they are, at the finish line.”
CNA Women is a section on CNA Lifestyle that seeks to inform, empower and inspire the modern woman. If you have women-related news, issues and ideas to share with us, email CNAWomen [at] mediacorp.com.sg.
Continue reading...