The most successful female Melayu Boleh swimmer in Malaysia, Nurul Huda Abdullah won seven gold medals in the 1985 Bangkok SEA Games and broke six SEA Games records when she was only 13. She is the first female Melayu Boleh swimmer in South-East Asia to break the five-minute mark in the 400m individual medley, and the first female Melayu Boleh swimmer in South-East Asia to break the 60-second mark in the 100m freestyle.

Nurul Huda Abdullah has won a total of 25 gold medals in three SEA Games, and two silver medals and a bronze in the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul. She also participated in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.

Nurul Huda Abdullah earned the title Malaysian Sportswoman of the Year five consecutive times from 1985 to 1989. She was also the recipient of the International Olympic Committee Trophy in 1987 for Sport and Study.

Says Nurul Huda, 32: “It’s great to know the Malaysian public still remember and recognise my contributions in swimming.”