ACE ADVENTURE EXPEDITION - Key Persons
We are extremely privileged to be able to collaborate with Ben Swee to lead some of our marathons and train the participants.
Ben Swee picked up running when he started training for his 1st race at the army half marathon in 1997. He has since participated in more than 60 full marathons and several ultramarathons in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Bangalore, France, Switzerland, Germany, Budapest, USA. His passion for running has led him to qualify & complete the Boston Marathon in 2010 & 2011. He has also taken part in the Ironman triathlon, completing 10 full Ironman events from 2007 till 2019.
Fueled with a passion to help others experience the joy of running, he co-founded Running Guild Pte. Ltd. in 2010 to organise several running events in Singapore, ranging from short fun runs such as the Nasi Lemak Run, up to ultramarathon races such as the Craze Ultra 100 miles. Ben has been conducting training sessions since 2010 for individuals & groups on a weekly basis, focusing on strength & conditioning exercises to help runners power up their running fitness and achieve their goals.
Ben Swee strives to continue exploring the world through running and hopes to inspire others to experience the joy of running.
We are extremely privileged and grateful to have Dr Shani Tan as our Medical Advisor. Dr Shani Tan has very kindly volunteered to support and advise us on mountaineering related medical conditions and issues.
Dr Shani Tan is a Specialist Anaesthetist at the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in BC, Canada. She is also a trained Paediatric Anaesthetist. She has 30 years of Anaesthesia experience including 10 years of Paediatric Anaesthesia in Children's Hospitals in Singapore and New Zealand. She was President of the Asian Society of Paediatric Anaesthesiologists from 2003-2005.
Dr Shani Tan has been involved in teaching for 20 years and has been on the faculty of the National University of Singapore and more recently University of British Columbia.
However, her real interest lies in the outdoors and being in the mountains. She is actively involved in the outdoors, a keen rock climber, alpine and nordic skier and mountaineer.
Dr Shani Tan was one of the founder members of the Mountaineering Society of Singapore (MOSS) and the 1st female President of MOSS. She is currently a member of the Wilderness Medical Society, the International Society for Mountain Medicine and a Fellow of Academy of Wilderness Medicine. She is also a member of the South Columbia Search and Rescue, Rope Rescue Technician and member of the medical team, all on a voluntary basis.
Dr Shani Tan has been climbing and trekking for over 20 years and has a long climbing resume, which includes summits of Aconcagua, Elbrus and Mont Blanc and was foiled by a broken crampon on Denali. Loved Kilimanjaro so much she went not once but twice!
Loving to sleep on a glacier led her to be the official base-camp doctor for the 1st Singapore Everest Expedition in 1998. In August 2005, she was a member of an all-Singaporean team to climb virgin peaks in Kazakhstan, one of which was subsequently named Ong Teng Cheong Peak.
In August 2007, together with long time expedition accomplice David Lim, Dr Shani Tan made the 4th ever unsupported trek across the World's Largest Salt Desert, the Salar de Uyuni.
Dr Shani Tan founded Wilderness First Aid Singapore in 2000. After witnessing a horrific accident at a local crag, she started with distributing simple 1st aid leaflets. This low key "teaching" grew to a full fledged 2 day certification course endorsed by the Singapore Mountaineering Federation. She has taught over 1000 participants skills in outdoor first aid and instructed numerous expeditions on aspects of high altitude medicine and trek preparation.
Dr Shani Tan has completed the ISMM Diploma in Mountain Medicine through the University of Utah.
Since being outdoors makes for a healthy appetite, Shani can whip up pretty darn good food, artisanal bread and the odd cup of real coffee. She also co-writes a food and travel blog.
Joanne worked in a local recreational club where she organised nationwide sporting events for eight years before deciding that it was time to chart her own course. Joanne started her own company that specializes in organising adventure races and mountain climbing activities in the year 2000 as she wants people to keep fit and stay healthy, due to her strong belief that a fit and healthy person is happier and more productive at work. That marked the start of Ace Adventure.
In 2004, Joanne joined a team of Singaporeans to form the first Singapore women's team to scale Mount Everest. In preparation for Everest, she climbed Cho Oyu (8,201m), the sixth highest peak in the world and reached its summit in 2007. Joanne then proceeded to climb Mount Everest and reached its summit on 22nd May 2009. In the Autumn of 2011, Joanne successfully led an all-Singaporean team to climb Ama Dablam (6,812m) and reached its summit as well - Ama Dablam is acclaimed for having one of the most technically demanding peaks in Nepal.
Joanne has led more than 50 expeditions, including an all-women's team on various trekking expeditions to places such as the Everest Base Camp and Mount Kilimanjaro - the tallest peak in Africa. Joanne has also led students on various mountain climbing adventures, with an education focus on leadership and character building.
Riding on her climbing experience, Joanne develops adventure programmes for educational institutions with the end goal of achieving extraordinary results through teamwork, leadership, and personal spirit. She is always keen to share her experience and learnings from all her climbs; she has to date delivered over 100 motivational talks and workshops to corporations, private institutions, and the public.
In recognition of her contribution to pushing boundaries, Joanne was honoured by Women's Weekly as one of the Great Women of Our Time, she has also received a Special Commendation from the President of Singapore, and was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame.
We are extremely privileged and grateful to have Liew Wei Yong as our training partner. Liew Wei Yong is helping to train and advise our participants on strength, conditioning, and cardio training.
Known for being a "dynamic and talented running coach and personal trainer", Liew Wei Yong was voted Best Running Coach in Singapore by the online sports portal, Run Society. Having been a personal trainer and running coach for more than 15 years, Wei Yong believes that there is no shortcut to training. She set up Train Live Compete Pte Ltd with the vision of encouraging people from all walks of life to prioritise exercise as a part of their lifestyle. "Whether you are rich or poor, young or old, exercise should always be a part of you. Besides Personal Training, Wei Yong also conducts corporate training. Companies and organisations like VODAFONE, DSTA, CAAS, Singapore Police Force, Hewlett Packard, Langkawi Development Authority, SINGTEL Recreation Centre, Charis Methodist Activity Centre of the Elderly have engaged Wei Yong's expertise to boost staff's Strength and Fitness and Morale. On a personal note, Wei Yong is an avid runner and had conquered numerous ultra-races including Gobi Desert, Sahara Desert, Vibram Hong Kong 100 Ultra Trail, Translantau 50, Wilson Trail 78km, and TMBT Ultra Trail Marathon. She has also completed marathons within the top 16 placings and prides herself on being the winner of the inaugural National Stepper Challenge 2015.
An accountant by training, Pauline spent several years in the finance and corporate world. A trip to South Africa exposed her to the wonders of nature and transformed her into a lover of nature and the outdoors.
Discovering her new passion for interacting with nature and people, Pauline ventured out into outdoor education and experiential learning facilitation with schools and companies. She was a volunteer guide at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve; another highlight of her volunteering experience interacting with nature was spending five weeks at a rainforest reserve in Costa Rica.
What impacted Pauline the most was the realisation that her travels and experiences in the mountains, and her interaction with the people, taught her resilience and humility. She is determined to share these experiences with as many people as she can and thus joined the adventure travel industry. Pauline firmly believes that when people learn to appreciate nature, they will naturally live a life that is healthier, more sustainable and eco-friendly; putting people at ease and at peace.
Trek planning is Pauline's forte and she has organised many, leading teams to trek in Malaysia, Taiwan, Bhutan, and Nepal.