Alumnus Hui Tsz Shan, Eric is an amateur marathon runner and has shared his experience of running overseas marathons on air. Yet the beginning to all these was in fact very commonplace – Eric was just a plump guy who was fond of snacks and reluctant to do exercises and started to have triple chin together with a bulging belly when he was in his early twenties. Devoid of any trendy and flashy running shoes and gear, he started running through the streets in the most ordinary tee shirt and sneakers and ended up finishing more than ten marathons. In his career path, he began working as a storekeeper with a meagre monthly salary of slightly over $6,000 to morph into the boss of a trading company which he established last year. There are always bends and turns in a life’s path, are we not all running our own marathon? Have you started yours?
It is indeed hard to believe that Eric with a lean body was once weighed 160 lbs ten years ago. After a lot of hearty words from his relatives, on a trivial evening, he made his first go for running in the street. Eric smiled, “Like loads of beginners, I began to grasp for breath after running for less than 20 minutes”; but unlike many others, he persisted and went for it again the following evening, and at the same time, he also disciplined himself with a lighter diet which helped him shed more than 20 lbs in just three weeks.
A Decade’s Training for Long Distance Running
This most encouraging story in dieting does not just end here, and the hard training that followed was the beginning of the real challenge. Eric said, “I did my first marathon in 2012 but in fact I started to follow my coach in cross country running ten years ago. It took me one whole year’s time just to learn how to land every step ahead; and then there’s breathing, stretching and kicking my legs which took me another two years”, it all sounded like the story of how a guy learned Kung Fu as narrated by the martial arts storyteller Mr. Jin Yong. Eric further said, “Like so many other things in life, those that appear to be so simple and easy turn out to be the most difficult to do well. There is no short cut for long distance running, it just takes time to hone one’s body to it”.
He also remarked with a big grin, lethargy is the greatest enemy of one: “As of now, the most challenging thing in running is to get dressed and leave home; the moment one closes the door behind him, it is an entirely different world outside.”
A marathon requires the runner to cover 42.195 km which is like the distance all the way from Ap Lei Chow to Sheung Shui. People, particularly for those who do not run, normally find the road long and tedious which is not what Eric thought. According to Eric, running a marathon is a sport that requires both wits and brawn: “One needs to have a sharp mind when running, if your breathing is not smooth half way through, or a cramp in the calf muscles, you have to find out how to adjust the pace, to continue or simply give up? It is easy to surrender, just to stop running, but one can only count on oneself if he really wants to persevere.”
It is this perseverance that has won Eric medals from the overseas marathons, in addition to the pleasant surprises which can only be experienced by the runners. His running shoes have taken him to run in the European Continent, the United States and Australia. At his peak, he finished all the four major marathons in Tokyo, the Gold Coast of Australia, Berlin and New York in one year. Running also broadened his vision of the world, “The most indelible one was the New York Marathon. It was early autumn and all the participants had to wait outdoor for start before six in the dawn, when it was only about 2°C!” The moment he crossed the finishing tape, he knew he was having a fever but it was worth all the tribulation which gave him more affirmation of himself.
Hanging On in the Business Venture
Eric is never scared of running his marathon alone. In his career, while a lot of young people today refused to go north for employment, Eric committed himself to looking for opportunities in this direction and has been commuting between China and Hong Kong for more than ten years. With the miraculous economic development of China, Eric also made great progress in his own career, promoted as a manager from a sales officer with manifold increases in salary. Last year, he established his own company specialising in trading of high-end furniture from both China and Europe.
It is always a bumpy road in starting one’s business venture, particularly in the midst of the gloom hanging over Europe like the terrorist attacks and the influx of refugees. For Eric, it is just like running a marathon, “One has to be well prepared and organised beforehand, and then make the necessary adjustments impromptu on site; in business ventures, it is exactly the same agility and flexibility which will enable one to adjust the strategy and adapt to the changes; it takes a lot of preparation and planning beforehand, one needs to have foresight and commitment in order to make the plan become reality.”
Studied Higher Diploma in Purchasing and Supply Management at the IVE (Sha Tin) and Eric still keeps connection with the teacher years after graduation. Earlier, the VTC hosted a project “Road to Marathon” and took a group of students to Korea for the Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Marathon. Teacher invited Eric to give some tips to the students and Eric confirmed without the slightest hesitation. He hoped to encourage students to run a good life’s marathon via long distance running: “In all pursuits, do not quit just after the first three minutes, so to speak, as the beginning stage is normally difficult and challenging, one needs to adjust one’s mindset and get ready, then all the opportunities and fortunes will come along with experience in the course of time.” Talking about the challenges and setbacks that the Hong Kong young people are embracing today, like long working hours, high and unattainable property prices, etc., Eric tends to agree: “It really takes a lot of guts to cope with all that”, but without mentioning the word “pressure”. He is really a positive entrepreneur and a forward looking marathon man who can turn pressure into courageous determination and guts.
