Activities

The barbell, the cockpit, and the club room teach the same lesson: growth begins where comfort ends.

Leadership & teams

Across every role Riya has taken on, leadership is about building a legacy.

President — APEx Board · Singapore American School

Oversees operations of the school fitness center while designing onboarding initiatives that make strength training more accessible and welcoming, particularly for beginners and girls.

Vice President — Girls Who Code · Singapore American School

Designs and leads coding workshops for middle school girls, helping them develop computational thinking, confidence, and curiosity — not just programming skills.

President — Philosophy Club · Singapore American School

Leads weekly ethics discussions and is designing the SAS Ethics Mini Bowl, a case-based competition turning the club into a structured interdisciplinary event.

DEI Facilitator · Singapore American School

Led workshops on DEI in STEM and media, and facilitated discussions on the unintended exclusion created by technological innovation.

Riya Kamat with the Singapore American School girls badminton varsity team on court with rackets — Riya Kamat with the Singapore American School IASAS badminton varsity team.

Badminton Varsity Team · Singapore American School

Represented the School at the IASAS Badminton Championships (2024), competing at the inter-school varsity level.

Taekwondo · Black Belt

Earned a black belt through years of disciplined training, perseverance, and technical mastery.

Riya Kamat mid-lift on the platform at a powerlifting competition — Riya Kamat competing on the powerlifting platform.

Since 2023 · Competitive Powerlifting

Champion for Girls Powerlifting in Singapore

Championing women’s strength both on the platform and as a Girls’ Ambassador for Powerlifting Singapore, creating opportunities for more girls and women to compete.

Riya didn’t begin powerlifting to win competitions. She began because she wanted to discover the limits of her own potential. The sport quickly became more than lifting weight; it became a lesson in discipline, resilience, and the quiet confidence that comes from showing up consistently, embracing discomfort, and earning every improvement.

As she progressed, she noticed something equally powerful: very few women were standing beside her on the platform. Rather than accepting that imbalance, she chose to help change it. Today, as Girls’ Ambassador for Powerlifting Singapore, Riya leads Women in Weights workshops, mentors girls taking their first steps into strength sports, and is organizing Singapore’s first all-girls powerlifting competition in October 2026.

Women’s Overall Winner · Hygieia Strength and Conditioning Meet · 2025

Recreational Pilot-in-training

Ground school complete. First solo flight: June 2027.

Riya began flight training to challenge herself in an environment where every decision carries real responsibility. Through ground school, she studied aerodynamics, meteorology, navigation, aircraft systems, and emergency procedures. But flying has taught her something that no classroom can: the importance of staying calm, thinking clearly, and making sound decisions when there is no room for hesitation.

The cockpit demands preparation, discipline, and accountability. Every flight reinforces the value of situational awareness, sound judgment, and the confidence to act under pressure. Riya is currently preparing for her first solo flight, a milestone she sees not simply as learning to fly, but as learning to lead herself with clarity, responsibility, and composure.

Riya Kamat receiving her ground-school certificate at the Aeroviation Academy graduation ceremony, 2024 — Riya Kamat at Aeroviation Academy's ground-school graduation ceremony, 2024.