Our Story

Completing a 42.195 km marathon is not only a test of endurance, physical and psychological strength, but also the dream of many runners, including Hong Chi student Ka Po. 

 

The Marathon Dream
Early last year, 13 Hong Chi schools formed a HC Running Team, recruiting students of mild, moderate and severe grade of intellectual disabilities. They joined to realize their sporting ability and more importantly, to maintain their physical fitness and to enhance confidence and social skills through sports. Ka Po is a student from Hong Chi Lions Morninghill School and a football player. He was invited by his teacher Mr Pang, to join the Running Team. Besides having regular training, students have to practice on their own during long holidays to improve their running habit. As Ka Po’s passion forrunning continued to grow, he dreamt of completing his first marathon before graduation. To fulfill Ka Po’s dream, Mr Pang took up the challenge with Ka Po. They both joined the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon together in December 2018. 

 

Win and Lose
With the limited preparation time to work with, Mr Pang specifically designed a training programme tailored for Ka Po. “He has a high demand for his performance. In the past he might lose his temper easily, taking winning and losing seriously. As we continued training, he has made great improvement on building physical strength, levels of attention and emotion management. These are very useful when he will start working in the future.” Mr Pang is also glad to share his running experience with Ka Po from time to time. “One time Ka Po called me to say that he was tired and hungry after a 30km run on his own, without sufficient water and snacks. I instructed him to get himself some food and drinks at the nearest convenience store, then return home for a rest. We could practice together the next time.”

 

Experience Gained

Ka Po and Mr Pang have given their best to the race. As this was not only Ka Po’s first-ever marathon, it was also a wish come true for Mr Pang to run a marathon with his student. The most unforgettable thing about the race was the hot and humid weather in Singapore. Mr Pang had to remind Ka Po to slow down when the sun was up to avoid exhaustion. Ka Po finished the race in 4 hours and 49 minutes. Both Ka Po and Mr Pang have made their best effort in the race. It was all worth it as Ka Po had a big smile on this face when he crossed the finishing line.

 

Please click here to watch the full video interview