Tan Blazing Trail As A Female Volleyball Coach In Sweden

After graduating from the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 2018, Desiree Tan worked in information technology, leisure and recreation, and marketing, but she felt a lack of purpose and satisfaction.

- David Lee

That void was filled by volleyball a year later, when the former player joined Volleyball Western Australia as an assistant coach for its Under-19 women's team.

The 28-year-old told The Straits Times: "That was when I was finally doing something relevant to what I enjoyed. I found what I actually really wanted to do, which I didn't really know at the start."

Since then, Tan has evolved into a championship-winning coach who is not afraid to step out of her comfort zone to achieve her dream of helming an Olympic team.

In a decade Down Under, she rose to become a programme coach in Australia's national men's team and assistant coach of Western Australia's men's team.

Through a friend's contact, the Singaporean took up an offer to coach the Lindesberg Volleyball Club women's team in Sweden in November 2022, leading them to third place in the Division 1 Norra competition and promotion to the top-tier Elitserien.

In July 2024, she moved to Sollentuna to become the first female coach to helm their men's team, guiding them to sixth in the Elitserien and winning the national U-23 men's title.