Atikah Suhaime Overcomes Childhood Trauma, Rides Water Slide Six Times for Daughter Mulan
PETALING JAYA: Actress Datin Atikah Suhaime has revealed how motherhood inspired her to conquer one of her biggest childhood fears, as she bravely rode a water slide six times just to make her daughter, Lyla Mulan Teh, happy.
The 35-year-old actress admitted she had avoided water slides for years after witnessing a frightening accident at a water park when she was a child.
According to Atikah, the incident left a lasting impression and turned what should have been a fun activity into something she feared throughout her life.
“I’ve been traumatised by water slides since I was little.
“I once saw someone come down a slide and hit their head against the pool wall. That incident stayed with me for years,” she wrote in a post on Threads.
The Singapore-born actress said she initially had no intention of trying the ride again.
However, seeing the excitement on her daughter’s face convinced her to challenge her fears and create special memories together.
“Because of my daughter, I decided to face that trauma.
“I went down the slide six times because Mulan wanted me to join her.
“I honestly feel that Mulan helped heal the fear I’ve carried since childhood,” she said.
Atikah described the experience as emotional and empowering, saying it reminded her that some fears can only be overcome by taking the first step.
She admitted feeling extremely nervous at first, but gradually became more comfortable after riding the slide several times.
“When you see your child enjoying herself, you forget your fears.
“Sometimes children teach us how to be brave,” she said.
In the same post, Atikah reflected on how different water slides were during her childhood, describing older attractions as more intimidating compared with today’s modern and safer designs.
She later recalled that the place where the traumatic incident happened was the once-popular Big Splash water park in Singapore.
“I finally remembered the name of the place — it was Big Splash.
“I swear I was traumatised by that slide. Back then, it felt incredibly tall and I remember it being made of concrete.
“It’s nothing like the water slides we have today,” she said.
Atikah’s story received positive reactions from social media users, many of whom praised her courage in overcoming her fear for the sake of her daughter.
Others also shared their own experiences of conquering fears with encouragement from loved ones.
For the record, Atikah married businessman Datuk Lokman Teh in January 2024, and the couple later welcomed their daughter, Lyla Mulan Teh, who frequently appears in the actress’s family-themed social media posts.
