Youth and coaches speak December 2021∣Youth Hong Kong
Determined to Succeed l Team Hong Kong proved their determination to succeed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics this year.
l 香港隊在東京奧運取得佳績，展現了他們爭勝的 決心。
l They, and others who have represented Hong Kong in sport, can inspire and motivate young people.
l 他們代表香港作賽，啟發並激勵了眾多香港人。
l Will participants in HKFYG’s sports and other programmes find the determination to be equally successful one day? Some talk about their dreams.
Many children who are involved in either team or individual sports dream of representing their country or city on a global stage. Of course, these dreams are not always fulfilled, but when they are, the achievements inspire and motivate the young. Who could forget the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, when Lee Lai-shan won the city’s first ever gold medal for windsurfing? At this year’s Tokyo Games, fencer Cheung Ka-long brought home a gold again – the first in 25 years. With him, swimmers and cyclists, as well as table tennis players and martial artists won a grand total of seven medals: a landmark achievement for the city. In some ways, even more impressive are the achievements of Hong Kong Paralympians. The city’s 24-strong delegation won five medals at Tokyo this year with an amazing 131 medals over the years. Not only Olympic medallists can inspire. Ho Yuen-kei was born with spinal muscular atrophy but is currently ranked second in the world in Paralympic boccia*. Her advice to all athletes is, "As long as you have the abilities, use them and do not limit yourself.”.
6
l 香港青年協會社區體育部青年及運動項目參加者 能得到他們啟發，發揮潛能、勇創佳績嗎？他們 跟讀者分享了他們的夢想及計劃。
Former national hockey squad member Justin Mak, believes that perseverance and working hard, listening to those with more experience and being open to new skills and are the keys to success. He also says, “Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. When you mess up, the best way of getting better is to gain the confidence to take risks.” Now studying at Imperial College, London, Justin hopes to represent England in hockey one day. Both Justin and Yuen-kei, very different in their choice of sport, abilities and achievements, share the determination to succeed. This is what sets them apart and this is what everyone involved in sports can see, whether they are at amateur or professional level or just enjoy sport as a leisure activity. As Lai Chiwai, once a world-ranked rock-climbing champion who is now a paraplegic said, “I can still dream and still do what I love.” For him, it meant climbing Lion Rock, just to show it was possible. What about future stars? Perhaps someone now taking part in HKFYG Community Team Sports (CTS) or other similar programmes and events might end up representing Hong Kong. They show both determination and commitment, as their feedback below shows. Many have also taken risks and agree that you learn through your mistakes.
