Race Media

Friends for 40 years lace up together

When pushed hard by life and work, you would recall the memory of the youth; when wake up in the morning in the shell without a soul, you would fall into the remembrance of the youth. In the youth, sky is always blue, dream is always shining and you are always full of beans to finish 100-meter sprint within 14 seconds.

Focus Team has 5 teammates, Anthony Hung, Wallace Ha, Andy Au, Kelvin Leung and the team leader Garry Tsang who have known each other more than 40 years since early 1970s. “Focus Team” used to be their secondary school basketball team name which is inspired by a concept in physics textbook, Focusing Effect. In recent trail running races, they still use the same meaningful name filled with memories.

The team reunited and started to train together for trail running races in 2014. At the end of 2015, they took part in the first trail race. This coming 2017 Hysan Healthy Hike and Run will be their first race that the whole team unite and participate together. Time flies, surrounding changes, young men grow up however their friendship remains the same. They have proven that this famous saying “Live a more than desultory life. Open arms to poems and distant lands” is possible.

Friendship is precious, a friendship that is over forty years is precious and rare, friends who share the same dream for 40 years is certainly an inspiration.

In Focus team, the captain Garry Tsang has been doing trail running for more than ten years. He encourages others to join this sports. With the lead of Tsang, the whole team would do the Spartan training. His motto is neat yet powerful, “No excuses are accepted, very simple, Go!” The team member Wallace Ha has expressed his respect to the captain, “I would say he is more than an amateur runner in hike and run, he is professional. He is also our role model.”   

During the past forty years, these five men studied together and graduated together. They have all experienced the nine to five work and all got married. And now, they train together, run together, stay healthy together and trying their best to live a splendid life together. “Running has changed my life. As a retired guy, running helps keeping my health in good condition both physically and mentally. I feel more energetic and much more positive after running and hiking with my friends and during my practice,” said 54-year-old Wallace Ha, the youngest member of the team. Another team member Andy Au suffered a lot from fasciitis six years ago and after joining trail running, he gets much stronger and now is the fittest among the whole team. The whole team is very inspiring and all believes in the spirit of “never say never”.

2017 Hysan Healthy Hike and Run will be held on March 19th. Focus team have been to Taroko Gorge National Park, Hualian Taiwan to do train specifically for this race. He said that he hopes to break his last record and finishes the race 15 minutes faster and he also very much looks forward to having a feast with the whole team after this race.

Although there are tons of difficulties in life, they are not afraid, and they keep hiking and running towards their dream. As long as people still remember their dream, the youth will be evergreen.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                    四十年后好友變老友

當你在工作和生活的沉重壓力籠罩下透不了氣，當你每天如同行屍走肉，仿若行將就木。你總免不了懷念，年少時的每一個晴天，青春里的每一個影子，同懷夢想、熱血方剛、可以用14秒跑畢100米的你。

Focus Team，寓意將志同道合的隊員聚集起來的一支團隊，由五位越野跑愛好者組成，分別是隊長Garry曾慶榮，Wallace夏耀榮，Andy區錦燦，Kelvin梁國富同Anthony孔令志。他們是佛教大雄中學的同學，由七十年代初開始相識，至今超過四十年。而Focus Team這個隊名，另有一個有趣的來源。原來他們上物理課學到聚焦效應「Focusing Effect」時靈機一觸，一錘定音，Focus Team就成為他們的籃球隊名。如今他們結伴參加越野跑比賽，更決定沿用這個別具「歷史感」的名字。

四十年前，初初相識，青春熱血的五個少年結成好友。四十年後，好友變老友，他們仍然情同手足，沒有澆滅一絲絲對生活的熱情，用人生證明了什麼叫「生活不止眼前的苟且，還有詩和遠方的田野」。他們由2014年開始接觸越野跑, 2015年尾開始參加比賽，而即將舉行的2017希慎健康遠足及跑步賽，將會是他們首場全員上陣的越野賽。

一段持續超過四十年的友情十分可貴，年過半百的攜手逐夢之旅更是難能可見。啟發和帶領大家共同追夢的靈魂人物，便是隊長Garry。Garry擁有超過十年的越野跑經驗，他每週都會帶領隊員進行訓練，風雨不改，更從不接受任何人以任何藉口缺席，儼然一個嚴師益友。但隊員從未有過不滿或怨言，反而十分佩服Garry的「斯巴達」訓練方式，隊員Wallace就毫不掩飾自己對隊長Garry的感激和敬佩之情：「我覺得Garry已經不止是一個業餘愛好者，他更似一個專業的運動員。對我們來講，他是一個精神領袖，更是我們的榜樣。」

四十年以來，Focus Team兄弟五人一齊讀書，一齊畢業，一齊朝九晚五，一齊成家立室。現在他們一齊訓練，一齊比賽，一齊變得健康，一齊活得精彩。Wallace是團隊中最年輕的成員，現年54歲，已經進入退休生活，他對於跑步運動的意義有極大感觸：「毫無疑問，越野跑令我的身體變得越來越健康，但更重要的是，它幫助我保持心情愉悅，而且感受到自己的價值。每次比賽後或者訓練完，我都感覺自己充滿活力，變得積極向上。可以說是越野跑改變了我的人生。」而另一成員Andy在六年前曾患上筋膜炎，他堅持不懈地投身越野跑，不但傷患大有好轉，更成為隊員公認的「全場最fit」。毋庸置疑，Focus Team的每個成員都從這段越野跑之旅中獲益良多，不但治愈了困擾多年的病痛，而且養成了永不言棄的拼搏精神，更珍貴的是他們都收穫了親如手足的兄弟情。

2017希慎健康遠足及跑步賽將在3月19號舉行，Focus Team為了這次的賽事，曾遠赴台灣花蓮的太魯閣國家公園進行針對性訓練。隊員Wallace表示他的目標是將自己去年的完賽紀錄加快15分鐘：「最重要的是，比賽完後我們幾個兄弟能夠一起聚會慶祝，這是我最期待的。」

Focus Team兄弟五人，因求學而相識，因運動而相知，人生走過五十年，內心卻仍是此間少年。致他們永不會逝去的青春——道阻且長，迎難而上，青春不敗，熱血永燃。2017希慎健康遠足及跑步賽，我們拭目以待！