The Psychological Services Group conducted a Balances & Wisdom seminar for Recruit Police Constables (RPCs) at the Police College on the evening of August 28 and 29.

The guest speaker was none other than Mr Derek Kwik, an entrepreneur in hi-tech industry and a sports enthusiast. He is a local Chinese having received tertiary education in the US.

One of Derek's sporting feats is having represented Hong Kong in the Eco-Challenge adventure races for six consecutive years since 2000, and raised a lot of money for local charities.

Recounting how he had coped with extreme conditions, Derek told the RPCs: "In the Antarctica adventure race, I had to finish 170 kilometres of non-stop running within one day with a knapsack up to 30 pounds in weight. In another race I had to endure blisters all around my toes in the extreme heat of the desert in order to finish the ordeal."

He said he had overcome difficulties only with a positive attitude towards adversity and the conviction that "I can make a difference". With such mental strength, he managed to finish the race in the four great deserts of the world - the Sahara in Egypt (the hottest), the Gobi in Inner Mongolia (the highest), the Atacama in Chile (the driest) and finally the Antarctica (the coldest).

Derek pointed out that his aim of participating in a race was never winning titles, but meeting challenges. In concluding his talk, he reminded the RPCs: "The pain of facing a challenge is only temporary, but the decision to quit lasts forever. Think about the consequences before you act. Finish what you've started, and never give up!"

The audience was greatly impressed by Derek's inspiring talk.

Mr Kwik addressing RPCs