In 1985, after being in the doldrums for more than a decade, Singapore table tennis finally had reason for some cheer. The cause for the celebration was Patricia Kim May Wong.

At the 13th SEA Games at Bangkok (1985), Patricia swept away the competition in winning two gold medals, the first coming from the women's singles event while the second came by way of the mixed-doubles team competition.

That year, the national paddler was also successful at the 2nd Asean Schools Championships where she won two golds and a silver medal. She also represented Singapore at the 37th and 38th World Table Tennis Championships (unplaced), while at the 7th Asian Table Tennis Championships she came in 4th in the team event.

Patricia Kim employed the less conventional pen-hold grip method for her competitive forays and considers the mixed-doubles as her pet event, even if she had performed equally well at both the singles and doubles format.

Patricia took-up the sport of table tennis at just six years of age, encouraged by her father Kim Joon Kee and with the ardent support of her (ex-national table tennis players) sister and brother, Grace and Steven Kim.

Her interest and passion for the game came about through her regular playing sessions with her brother and sister and through playing neighbourhood friendly matches. That alone, in her own words, "helped create a desire in me to excel in the sport".

Patricia's first success came in 1978 after she won the National Open Under-12 Table Tennis Championships. Two years later she proved her mettle once again by clinching the National Under-16 table tennis title.

She went on to win ASEAN school girls table tennis singles title by beating beat Indonesia's Mulasih (3-1) in the final in 1984.

However, what clinched the Sportsgirl of the Year 1985 award for Patricia was, most notably, her attainment of the SEA games double golds at Bangkok - the 18 year-old powered her way to the Ladie's Singles gold by outplaying Malaysia's veteran table tennis player Goh Shwu Fung (3-1) at the finals, while, at the doubles she won the gold while partnering regular doubles team mate, Tan Ah Tee.