Ryan Lo – TeamSG Sailor and Olympian

Image of Olympian Ryan Lo as a TeamSG Sailor

Degree in International Business, James Cook University Singapore

Ryan Lo claimed a gold medal in the 2025 SEA Games Men's ILCA 7 event, and achieved 14th place at the 2025 ILCA 7 World Championship in Qiandao, China, securing the best Asian result at this LA 2028 qualification event. He previously also claimed a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games.

Ryan is currently pursuing a degree in International Business at James Cook University Singapore (JCUS), having previously completed his first year at Erasmus University in the Netherlands. His main challenge was finding an educational pathway that would accommodate his demanding training schedule and frequent overseas competitions whilst allowing him to continue his academic pursuits.

When Ryan engaged with the spexEducation Programme Office (spexEd PO), we connected him with JCUS, a spexEducation partner committed to implementing athlete-friendly practices for their student-athletes. JCUS recognised his prior undergraduate education and accepted him into their Business degree programme, enabling him to complete his studies in less than 18 months.

JCUS has been exceptionally supportive of Ryan's sporting career, providing flexibility for leave of absence from tutorials and lectures during training camps and competitions. The university also equipped him with online syllabi for reference whilst travelling for competitions and awarded him a 50% scholarship. This arrangement has enabled Ryan to pursue academic excellence while continuing to compete at the highest levels of international sailing.

Reflecting on his journey, Ryan shared: "spexEd PO has helped me in reaching out to universities to facilitate the process of choosing a university and finding out the various support schemes available to balance between academics and sports. Through the various partnerships with respective universities, I was able to get a lot of information to help with my decision to choose a university best suited for both sporting and academic excellence."