The perseverance and outstanding achievements of Team Hong Kong, China at the Paris Olympics inspire the whole city. In addition to cheering for the award-winning athletes, the citizens also show support to and recognition of athletes who have been endeavouring on the Olympic stage. 40-year-old Law Hiu-fung being stationed in the Marine North Division is one of the best rowing Olympian athletes in Hong Kong’s history.

Law started rowing when he was in secondary 3. At six o’clock every morning, he went to the training base on Shing Mun River for training before going to school. In order to concentrate on training, Law became a full-time athlete after secondary 5.

In 2004, Law won his first ticket to the Olympics at the age of 20. He finished 18th in the Athens Olympics. His rank was the highest in Hong Kong’s history of competing rowing in the Olympics. Four years later at the Beijing Olympics, Law achieved the highest ranking in rowing among Asian athletes. At the closing ceremony, Law was chosen to be the flag bearer of the Hong Kong Team. “I felt very honoured while holding the regional flag high in the Olympic Games hosted by our country.”

With all the success in his early years, Law encountered the career bottleneck later. He could not make major breakthrough despite his hard training. He even failed in the 2012 London Olympics selection. He then chose to divert his career from an athlete to a coach and return to campus.

Going back to studies was by no means an easy matter. Law, however, applied the perseverance of an athlete to learning and overcame the difficulties. On campus, he had to do group assignments with his classmates, which reminded him of the team spirit in rowing. “When I participated in inter-team rowing, I would sometimes rely on my personal strength to rush forward, but my rush would disrupt the rhythm of my teammates, which prevented the whole team from performing its best. Collaboration is very important for both studying and policing work.”

After experiencing ups and downs, Law made a strong comeback to the Hong Kong Team in 2014, competing for Hong Kong and supporting young athletes. With the goal to join the Force, he never stopped his studies, “Joining the Force is always my plan. Hence, I decided to obtain the required academic qualification.”

With his spirit of never giving up, Law was finally admitted to the Police College (the College) for training in 2023. Although he was slightly older than his classmates, he got along with them well. His classmates even gave him the nickname “Jolly Fung” as they admired him for his optimism when dealing with rigorous training and assessments. “Through my years as an elite athlete, I have become accustomed to facing physical and mental challenges to strive for the best.”

After graduating from the College, Law continued his journey with the sea and became a Marine officer. He hoped to apply his knowledge of the sea to acquiring various professional qualifications required by Marine so that he could utilise his strength in his new position. “I will never forget my identity as an athlete. Even after retirement, I hope that the spirit of perseverance can shine and radiate in other fields.”