Annie Lee Siswojo

“Although my surgery was deemed successful, my health journey hasn’t ended,” says Annie Lee Siswojo, dancer and once a trailblazer in the Korean rap scene, who had to retire from performing due to a rare brain tumour, thus putting her career on hold. Sixteen years later she’s rediscovered her passions, which today serve as a therapeutic remedy to strengthen her body and mind. Now also a serial entrepreneur, Lee Siswojo understands the importance of finding a correct work-life balance as few others do. “I’ve become a strong advocate for taking control of one’s health as early as possible – prioritising health above all else but, at the same time, not letting your illnesses, age or limits define you,” she says. Founder of SK85IVE2, Hong Kong’s first indoor skatepark, brand manager of Handsome Factory Barbershop and founder of Korea’s first performing arts academy, Lee Siswojo had to foster resilience and confidence the hard way. In the near future, she hopes to share the lessons she learned by opening an extra-curricular dancing programme for underprivileged youth. “A dedication to a craft such as dance can improve health and academic performance, and aspirations for higher learning instil responsibility, hard work and discipline.”