She always wanted to participate in the National Day Parade (NDP), and at 35, Yap Qian Yin can finally live her dream.
For the first time, the NDP 2026 will see a contingent made up of people with diverse abilities.
Yap, a 2014 and 2015 gold-medal winning sailing Paralympian, will be the commander of the contingent called Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC).
The contingent led by her will be among the 26 civilian contingents, representing the social, psychological, economic and digital pillars of Total Defence, including the inaugural participation of SDSC.
With the addition of SDSC, the total number of civilian participants at NDP 2026 will be more than 1,200.
Talking about her role as contingent commander, Yap said: "I actually look forward to motivating my team members, and also because we come from a very diverse disability, there will be certain things that we need to look out for each other."
Yap said that Singaporeans watching NDP 2026 would see beyond the obvious physical disabilities, and instead see that disability "doesn't really stop us from coming together to rejoice and celebrate for Singapore", adding that "Singapore becomes stronger" as we are all together.
NDP 2026's theme is 'Majulah Singapura, Go Beyond!' and is set to be the largest civilian participation in the parade and ceremony segment in over a decade, which sees a broader representation from across society.
"This year, the parade will bring together people across different walks of life together, including for the first time featuring a contingent entirely made up by persons with disabilities," said Colonel Lau Kai Heng Anthony, chairman, Parade and Ceremony Committee.
He added: "This allows the community to be more inclusive, more accessible and more representative of Singapore society today."
The parade entry and exit will take civilian contingents through all the spectator aisles across National Stadium, creating an immersive 360-deg experience that brings the contingents closer to spectators.
NDP 2026 will also feature the inaugural Presidential Gun Salute and State Flag Flypast at the Kallang Basin.
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