William Tan


William Tan is a neuroscientist, medical doctor and Paralympian. He was the first person to complete a marathon in the North Pole in a wheel chair.

Early life and career

Tan was born in Singapore. He contracted polio when he was 2 years old, which caused him to be paralysed from the waist down. He graduated from the National University of Singapore before proceeding his postgraduate studies in Physiology at Harvard University. He trained at the Mayo Clinic and was an Oxford University Chevening Scholar. He is a trained medical doctor and a neuroscientist.
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.

Sports career

Tan competed in the 1988 Seoul Paralympics. He was disqualified from two events for lane violations, because his home-made wheelchair could not drive straight. He competed in the Asian-Pacific games, where he won three gold medals, the World Games and the Commonwealth Games. He holds multiple world records, including the fastest marathon in a wheelchair across the seven continents, and the first person to complete a marathon in a wheelchair on the North Pole. He has taken part in over 100 marathons.
Tan also plays badminton competitively.
Tan uses the 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. In total he has raised over 18 million dollars for charity. He received the Commonwealth Point of Light award for his fundraising.