Cecilia Low - TeamSG Sailor

Cecilia Low, Team Singapore Athlete (Sailor)

TeamSG Sailor and Olympian, Cecilia Low, has attained major milestones throughout her sailing career which includes a 420 World Championship title, clinching gold twice at the Asian Games, and a remarkable 10^th position at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the 49erFX class. Most recently, Cecilia took on a brand-new challenge of transiting to kite foiling, a new Olympic sailing discipline.

Yet achieving these sporting heights requires more than just athletic excellence – it demands careful career planning and support. “Before connecting with the spexBusiness team, one of the biggest challenges I faced was finding companies that truly understood the training and competition demands of a high-performance athlete. While I had academic and technical experience, many roles required rigid schedules or full-time availability,” Cecilia explained. The spexCareer Programme Office helped bridge this gap by introducing her to employers like Deloitte, an athlete-friendly organisation that is part of the spexBusiness network, that offer flexible, athlete-friendly pathways without compromising on growth and learning opportunities.

The spexCareer Programme Office also provides resume and interview workshops, and business networking sessions which have helped Cecilia in:

1.        Framing her sporting experience in a professional context—highlighting transferable skills like resilience, teamwork, and discipline

2.        Engaging with employers who genuinely value athletes’ contributions to the workplace

3.        Making job searches feel more purposeful and less intimidating

At Deloitte, Cecilia worked flexible working hours and received special leave for competitions and training camps, allowing her to balance training needs with work deadlines and deliverables. James Walton, Sports Business Group Leader, Deloitte Asia Pacific, noted, “Cecilia was able to schedule her gym sessions during work hours, and her team had been supportive and understanding throughout her internship,” 

Her internship at Deloitte’s Technology and Transformation business has further enhanced her communication and stakeholder management skills. It has also improved her ability to structure thoughts, presenting ideas clearly, and adapt to the fast-paced project environments. Most importantly, she has gained confidence in navigating the corporate world and understanding how her athlete mindset adds value in a team setting.

These qualities did not go unnoticed by her supervisors. Thomas Pellegrin, Transportation, Hospitality & Services Sector Leader, Deloitte Southeast Asia, praised, “From day one, Cecilia displayed an eager team spirit and unwavering “can-do” attitude. She also surprised us by proposing alternative solutions to existing processes – which is the kind of lateral, outside-the-box thinking that we seek in non-standard hires.”

Drawing from her positive experience, Cecilia encourages athletes to not wait until their sporting careers wind down. She emphasises, “The spexBusiness network is designed with athletes in mind, so you’ll be supported every step of the way. It’s a great platform to discover your strengths beyond sport, build your network, and develop career-ready skills while still competing.”