Being able to wake up to see his family every day and to have the strength to pursue his passion in sport, Ah Fuk regards everyday as a blessing. Currently working in Marine South Division, he was diagnosed with Hepatitis B in 2000 and his doctor told him to "prepare for the last stage of your life". Convinced that medication was not the only road to recovery, Ah Fuk took up long distance running to improve his physique.

 

At the outset in 2000, Ah Fuk found distance running a big challenge for him. His foot injuries tortured him when he started jogging. On many occasions, he nearly tried to give up, but subsequently realised that he had to persist when medication did not work. As time went by, he made good progress and no longer had to catch his breath during running. He started appreciating the beautiful scenery he jogged by. With his early difficulties behind him, long distance running became a passion for him.

 

Ah Fuk was also lucky with the medical authorities - being selected as a participant in a Clinical Trial for a new drug for Hepatitis B, and eventually recovered from his disease.

 

Ah Fuk's passion for long distance running has motivated him to participate in marathons around the world, having completed races in Seoul, Rotterdam, Boston, Nairobi and Melbourne since 2005 and leaving his footprints in five continents.

 

 

It was a life-changing moment for Ah Fuk when he met a group of cancer patients by chance. As their friendship grew, Ah Fuk came to realise that cancer patients suffer from both physical and mental torture as they struggle on the long road to recovery, in addition to the financial burden arising from medication. Therefore, he decided to offer a  hand to those patients by acting as a fundraiser for the Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society.

 

"I am a lucky guy. Without the generous support of donors, I would not be able to take part in the Clinical Trial for Hepatitis B drugs and recover from my prolonged disease, not to mention participation in marathons around the world. I do understand how desperate and hopeless it is when you are fighting  a disease alone.  Now that I have recovered, it is my turn to help those in need in society. To know more about the preparation work for fundraising, I asked CIP Simon Southgate for advice, and he was very forthcoming with his experience.

 

"As the Hong Kong Anti-Cancer Society also sponsored cancer patients to participate in clinical triads for cancer drugs, I decided to participate in different ultra marathon races with the sole aim of fundraising.  I am running for hope, running for all cancer patients.  I aim to raise $200,000 in order to cover all the related costs of clinical trials for 50 cancer patients."

 

In June 2012, Ah Fuk headed for the Sahara Desert and competed a 250-km ultra marathon race. The Sahara Desert race was a new milestone for him, with fundraising being his only goal. On his first day in the desert, Ah Fuk had serious muscle strain and later he found himself running all alone when he only companion dropped out because of injuries.  It was the support of sponsors and the encouragement of his family, friends and colleagues that gave him the strength to continue toward the finishing line. 

 

 

Since 2010, Ah Fuk has successfully completed ultra marathon races in the Gobi Desert, Chile and the Sahara, getting qualified for the last race in the ultra marathon series - The South Pole. He will compete in one of the coldest place on the planet in October and as usual, he is going to equip himself with his sheer faith and motivation, with the aim of bringing cancer patients to the "dawn of hope". With The South Pole being his last ultra marathon, Ah Fuk said: "Honestly I am not nervous about it, mainly because I let go my fear.  I just want to enjoy my very last ultra marathon race and help the cancer patients in need."

 

Ah Fuk is going to retire in June this year.  While working out for The South Pole, he hopes to inspire young people, colleagues and members of the public with his story.  He is going to conduct a sharing session on "The Art of Positive Thinking" in the Police Headquarters Auditorium on June 11. Those interested to join him in the session may contact Training and Staff Relations Office of Marine Port District at 2555-4413.