More Than Gold: What Amita Berthier’s SEA Games Triumph Says About Sporting Resilience

Dramatic semi-final comeback from brink of elimination lands Berthier's third SEA Games Gold on her six year return

Amita Berthier completes a remarkable turnaround in her semi-final against Philippines' Samantha Catantan. PHOTO: SPORTPLUS.SG / HANA BASIR

17 December 2025 - Bangkok, Thailand - There are victories that add to a medal tally, and then there are victories that remind a nation why sport matters in the first place. Amita Berthier’s women’s individual foil gold at the SEA Games 2025 belongs firmly in the latter category.

On paper, Berthier’s win looks like a familiar story. The two-time Olympian had already stood atop the SEA Games podium in 2017 and 2019. She returned after a six-year absence and reclaimed her crown with authority, beating teammate Maxine Wong 15-4 in an all-Singapore final. Yet to reduce this moment to repetition would be to miss its deeper significance.

This gold was not about dominance; it was about resilience under pressure.

Maxine Wong (far left) and Amita Berthier (second from left) of Team Singapore won silver and gold in foil at the SEA Games. PHOTO: SPORTPLUS.SG / HANA BASIR

Berthier herself acknowledged the weight she bore in returning to a stage where she had already tasted success. “Coming back to the SEA Games and repeating what I did then was a big load I placed on my shoulder,” she told SportPlus.sg.

“Winning it meant having a greater belief in my abilities and further boosting my passion for fencing.” In that admission lies the quiet truth of elite sport: past glory does not lighten pressure, it amplifies it.

The defining image of Berthier’s campaign came not in the final, but earlier, when she trailed 8-14 against the Philippines’ Samantha Catantan in the semi-finals. One more mistake and her comeback story would have ended before it truly began. Instead, she scored seven unanswered points to win 15-14 — a sequence that tested not her technique, but her mental strength.

That comeback captured the essence of elite sport. Berthier did not rely on fortune or desperate gambles. As national coach Andrea Magro noted in a separate interview with ActiveSG, she won with “a really high level”, showing composure and resolve as much as skill. It was fencing stripped to its most human core: belief under pressure.

Team Singapore fencing team celebrating victory. PHOTO: SPORTPLUS.SG / HANA BASIR

What made the moment even more resonant was its deeply personal dimension. In the stands were Berthier’s siblings, an unexpected presence that became a quiet turning point. Hearing her sister’s voice at 14-8 down, Berthier found clarity in chaos.

High-performance sport often speaks the language of data and preparation, but this was a reminder that athletes are anchored by relationships, memories and shared histories that no training plan can replicate.

Her journey back to the top has also been far from smooth. Balancing elite sport with academic ambition — she missed the last two SEA Games while pursuing a sociology degree at the University of Notre Dame — Berthier admitted to stepping away to rethink her path. That honesty matters. In a sporting culture that often glorifies constant momentum, her pause reframed rest and reflection not as weakness, but as renewal.

Singapore's Simon Lee (third from left) makes the podium yesterday for fencing. PHOTO: SPORTPLUS.SG / HANA BASIR

The confidence she drew from this victory, she said, came not merely from winning, but from liking her fencing again. That sentiment resonates far beyond the piste. For young athletes watching, her message is clear: longevity is built not just on results, but on rediscovering joy and purpose in the craft.

Berthier’s gold also sat within a broader tapestry of Singaporean excellence. She openly drew inspiration from fellow champions such as sprint queen Shanti Pereira and her close friend taekwondo standout Diyanah Aqidah Dian Khudhairi, while the fencing contingent continued its rich tradition, with medals including a men’s epee bronze from Simon Lee.

Together, they underline how success is rarely isolated; it feeds and is fed by a culture of belief.

Family played a huge role in sparking Amita Berthier's gold medal win yesterday. PHOTO: SPORTPLUS.SG / HANA BASIR

In the end, Berthier’s roar, salute and embrace on the piste symbolised more than a title reclaimed. They marked a reaffirmation — of resilience, self-belief and quiet determination — and of why comebacks are often more meaningful than first ascents. Catch up on the 33rd SEA Games 2025 action through SportPlus.sg's SEA Games coverage and event round-ups via our SEA Games page here or ASEAN Sports site here. #Fencing #SEAGames2025