Quest Alumni Journeys Series

From Schoolyard Memories to Life Lessons

Each Queenstown Secondary journey is a tapestry of memories, shaping every alum into the person they were meant to become. For Arun Rosiah, those memories are vivid and alive, etched in the laughter of friends, the sting of setbacks, and the small triumphs that shaped the man he would become. Today, he is celebrated not only as a senior model and ACE personal trainer but also as a stage 3 colorectal cancer warrior whose journey speaks of courage, resilience, and the refusal to bow to fear.

He remembers the concrete table-tennis tables by the school fence, where recess meant quick-fire matches under the sun. Determined to master the game, Arun borrowed books from the library to study its finer points. By the time he reached Secondary Four, he was defeating the best players, silencing his doubters, and leading his class to victory in 1982 when he was in Pre-U 1. “From then on, I was given more respect,” he remembers, a turning point for an Indian boy who defied expectations in a sport often seen as the domain of his Chinese schoolmates.

Some stories still bring a smile. The memory of being late for school and crouching beneath a parked car to avoid the watchful eye of Mr Ajit Singh, the school’s formidable discipline master. The thrill of being named Best Speaker two years in a row, even when his class did not win the debate at the secondary level, but went on to help his class win at Pre-U. And then there was the air batu (ice-popsicle) seller at the basketball court, whose pulley-and-bucket payment system remains etched in his mind as part of the school’s everyday charm.

Finding Strength in Setbacks

Yet those same years also brought rejection, despite being active in numerous games, including table tennis, sepak takraw, hockey, badminton, and football. Arun was often told he was “too short, too skinny” to represent the school in sports. Even NCC and NPCC rejected him. Instead, he joined the Safety First Club, once considered the CCA for “geeks” and “rejects.” Far from putting him off, these setbacks gave him determination. As he says, “being exposed and given opportunities to play a variety of games were instrumental in my journey towards becoming a PE teacher.”

Tributes to the teachers who inspired him flow easily: Mr Seet, Mr Sairi, Mr Asmani, Mdm Teo, Ms Sarjit Kaur, Mr Arshad, and Mr Simon Tan. Each left an imprint on his heart, urging him to chase dreams that once seemed outlandish, and to rise again with courage, even after stumbling in his O and A-level examinations.

A Battle with Cancer, A Warrior’s Resolve

That grit would one day be called upon in the hardest of ways. In October 2015, barely two months before starting his Master’s in Sports Science at NTU, Arun was diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer. Months of chemotherapy, radiation and surgeries followed, along with eight long months living with a stoma bag. “I became more zen, more focused on me-time and family-time,” he reflects. After 28 years as an MOE teacher, he transitioned into flexi-adjunct teaching, which gave him the freedom to prioritise what mattered most: his family.

“My wife is my heartbeat,” Arun says.

She switched to the half-workload scheme to care for him, while his children and friends from Queenstown rallied around. A WhatsApp group of classmates, rekindled after decades of silence, became a lifeline, visiting, checking in, reminding him he was not alone. “My desire to live for my family was stronger than the pain,” he shares.

Drawing on his background in sports science, Arun adapted exercises to his changing body. “I knew when to push myself with progression and when to take it easy with regression drills,” he explains. Experimenting with his own recovery gave him the confidence to train others with chronic conditions later. His lesson is simple: “Invest in your health before illness strikes. Seize the day, don’t procrastinate.”

Like a Phoenix Rising

From the crucible of illness came new courage. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Arun dared to chase a dream long set aside. In his fifties, he was the oldest finalist in the Manhunt Singapore 2021/22 competition and emerged 1st runner-up, later appearing in advertising campaigns and even in Vogue Singapore. 

“I almost died with stage 3 cancer. Nothing scares me anymore,” he says. 

Today, he excels in both trainer and model roles, which enable him to give back to the elderly and cancer communities, serving as a voice for those often overlooked.

To students and alumni alike, Arun’s message is clear: “Plan well ahead, don’t procrastinate, talk to your teachers or the experts, do your own research, and mix with go-getters instead of fence-sitters. Be unconventional, but always within the law and order.” His mantra echoes like a drumbeat: Stand tall. Unbreakable. Unbeatable. Be defiant.

And in his own defiant words:

“Don’t fear FEAR, let Fear fear you!”