Between 1965 and 1973 she won 39 gold medals at Southeast Asian Games, which was the best achievement for a Singaporean athlete in any sport until 2005.

At the 1972 Summer Olympics she was the flag bearer for Singapore and competed in the 100 m and 200 m backstroke events, but failed to reach the finals.

[4] Chan retired from competitions in 1973, aged 19, to become the first Singaporean female professional coach.

Her brother Roy Chan Kum Wah, won a bronze medal at the 1970 Asian Games in the 4×200 m relay.

[7][8] Her other brother Mark Chan is a composer,[9][10] while her elder sister, Victoria Chan-Palay is a prominent neuroscientist in the United States and Switzerland.