Testing the limits

A team consisting of four students and alumni from the Department of Marketing completed the Marathon Des Sables (MDS) in April. MDS is an international multi-stage foot race held annually in the southern Morocco. In the seven-day race, participants are self-sufficient and run over a distance of 254km through dunes, and across white-hot salt plains, in the Sahara desert.

BBA Marketing students, Yoyo Ho Sin-yiu, Christina Wong Hiu-ying and BBA China Business student Ervan Luk Sze-chit, joined with 2014 graduate Wilson Lam Wai-shing, to participate in this competition. To prepare well for the race, the team has gone through strenuous training and was coached by trail walker veteran, Mr Kwok-keung Chan, since August 2016. 

Wilson Lam recalled one of the most unforgettable moments, “There was a stage where we had to run over 86km overnight. It was tough to adapt to the temperature difference in daytime and at night.” While Ervan Luk suffered from a leg injury on the third day of the race, he saw another runner who has his legs amputated enjoying the game. And that has encouraged him to move on.

After having an experience under difficult environment and extreme weather, the four young people learned to treasure what they have after the race.

“I become more sensitive to others’ feelings, and have more face-to-face conversations with my friends now instead of online chats,” said Yoyo Ho.

The Department of Marketing supported the students in joining the race, and would like to express its gratitude to the Department Advisory Committee Chairman Dr Jacky Cheung Wah-keung, who has generously subsidised the team on the race registration fees and round-trip flight tickets.

“It was invaluable to see the students stepping out from comfort zone, making this memorable journey in their lives. I hope my support could inspire them to make impact on others in the future,” said Dr Cheung.

The student team has made a video featuring their trainings prior to the trip.