Life is a marathon, only those who have perseverance to cross the finishing line will have a chance to win. Alumnus Chan Ka-ho (Physical Education) is one of the typical examples. In 2008, Chan was admitted to the Department of Physical Education of HKBU with his outstanding performance on running. It was not easy for him to start his first year in the University as he was not good at academics. Chan sincerely thanked Prof. Chung Pak-kwong for his encouragement and valuable support to him, so that he could obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences in HKBU.
Transforming from a PE teacher to a Running Coach
During his time at HKBU, Chan enjoyed going to the laboratory of Department of PE for checking of his heart rate, lactic acid and oxygen level of his blood after running. These data were used by the University in research for long-distance running.
After graduation, Chan started his career as a Physical Education teacher. The knowledge of sports science which he learnt from the University together with his hands-on experience as a runner was very relevant in his teaching.
However, Chan changed his career from being a PE teacher to become a running coach, as he wanted to make use of his personal story as a real life example to inspire the next generation. He successfully brought some teenagers who went astray back on track and changed their characters to become more open-minded and more willing to listen to their parents. These successful cases strengthened his confidence and gave him satisfaction to continue as a running coach.
There’s Always Ups and Downs in Life
Unlike many athletes who started running in childhood, Chan began to join running races when he was in secondary school at aged 16. With his relentless efforts, he won many awards which gave him greater satisfaction and got reassured the support from his parents.
However, from 2014 to 2016, Chan suffered injuries on his knee and hamstring so he had to stop running. With his perseverance and never-give-up attitude, he maintained his body in good condition by exercise, and finally he returned to his battlefield after recovery and won the Men's 10km Challenge of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon again in 2017.
The Next Challenge – Marathon in North Pole
Now the biggest challenge for Chan in his life is running for marathon in North Pole in April. He is preparing for this extremely challenging marathon by running uphill or on the beach to simulate the hardship that he would face.
Chan also shares his motto in life – “There is no miracle in life, only those who work hard and persevere can win.” If one has talents but is not willing to practise, he/she will not easily achieve good results. Everything should be built on ground zero, like running in a marathon. One should overcome half marathon before joining full marathon. Chan hopes to meet the challenge of the Men’s 21 km half marathon soon.
We wish Chan every success in his running races and hope Hong Kong athletes will continuously break their records and be part of the Olympic Games.
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