Newsletter No. 326

No. 326, 4.11.2008 第三二六期　二零零八年十一月四日 No. 326 4 November 2008 不 幸經歷可令人退縮不前，也可令人蛻變成長。剛於 中大地理與資源管理學系畢業的余翠怡認為：是 禍是福，一切繫於自己手中。 翠怡十三歲時因骨癌失去一截小腿，但沒失掉鬥志。在劍 擊場上，她堅毅、沉着且冷靜，與輪椅結成親密戰友，東征 西討，在輪椅劍擊項目奪標無數。今年9月，她代表香港出 戰北京傷殘人士奧運會（殘奧會），摘下一金一銀。 「病是一個契機，讓我接觸這項運動，給我到海外比賽及 拓展視野的機會。」翠怡憶述，小時候她已好動外向，痊癒 後本想習泳，偶然接觸輪椅劍擊，立刻愛上了這項「大腦和 體力結合」的運動，皆因「要在短時間內觀察對手的強弱 處，挑戰很大。」 由於體能不俗，她很快已掌握基本功，開始鑽研技巧。遇 上具水準的教練，翠怡的潛質得到充分誘發。2000年，年 僅十七歲的她，習劍不久已有機會參與全國殘疾人運動 會，後來更在2004年首次踏足殘奧會，一鳴驚人，囊括花 劍個人、重劍個人、花劍團體及重劍團體 四枚金牌，被譽為「香港首席劍客」。 國際賽事戰績彪炳，踏足獎台對翠怡來 說已非新鮮經驗，但她坦言以這次在北 京摘金最為興奮：「能在自己國家的土壤 踏上獎台最高一級，是百年難得的機遇； 現場奏起國歌，區旗徐徐升起，腦海中浮 現一幕幕過去艱苦練習的片段，那一刻 感動至深，我知道努力並沒白費。」 成功背後夾雜的汗與淚，不足為外人道。 2005年，翠怡獲運動員獎學金入讀中 大，每天穿梭於大學校園和香港體育學 院，忙於練劍，忙於往外參賽，但她仍堅持兼顧運動及學 業，「當有偷懶的念頭爬出來，我會放鬆一下，提醒自己作 運動員的目標。」這時，她的正能量又會戰勝雜念。 雖然不常逗留在校園，卻無礙她的學習。學系很體諒她的 情況，若碰上考試時間要出外作賽，會讓她另行補考，有 需要時亦特別安排導修課，讓她專心練劍。樂觀的性格， 為她贏了不少友誼，每次她得獎，同學都會一起分享她的 喜悅。 翠怡現於中大矯形外科及創傷學系任初級研究助理，同時 修讀體育學碩士課程。她正蓄勢待發，期望於2010年廣州 亞運會再創佳績。 years later, Chui- yee made her debut in the Paralympic Games in Athens where she won four gold medals, namely, women’s individual foil, women’s individual epee, women’s team foil, women’s team epee. She was subsequently named ‘Hong Kong’s premier fencer’. But Chui-Yee confessed that none of the excitement of winning in the past could compare to that of the Beijing Paralympic Games. ‘It was a rare chance to be awarded a Paralympic gold medal on one’s home soil. When I was standing on the podium, listening to the national anthem being played as the HKSAR flag rose, I was thrilled. The episodes of intensive training came to mind. It was well worth the effort.’ Chui-yee was admitted to CUHK in 2005 via the Sports Scholarship Scheme. Much of her university time was spent shuttling between the campus and the Hong Kong Sports Institute. Though she was kept extremely busy, especially when she had to compete overseas, Chui-yee tried her best to balance studies and sports. ‘Whenever I felt like being lazy, I would relax and remind myself what the aims of an athlete should be.’ Positive thinking would then prevail. Thanks to the supplementary tutorials given by the department, Chui-yee could keep up with her studies. When she had to compete during examination time, the department would arrange for her to take make-up exams. Chui-yee’s optimism also won her many friends, who shared her happiness and honour as an athlete. Chui-yee is now working as junior research assistant in the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, CUHK, and studying the master’s programme in sports studies. She is also gearing herself up for the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, and hopefully, it will be another peak in her career. 揮劍摘金 CUHK Fencer Shines in Paralympics M isfortune can make one shrink back or grow up. Yu Chui- yee, a graduate of the Department of Geography and Resource Management, shares how an ordeal turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Due to bone cancer, Chui-yee lost her left leg below the knee when she was 13 years old. However, the amputation did not dampen her passion for life. She took up wheelchair fencing and through sheer determination and hard work, won many international awards, including the latest two—a gold medal and a silver medal in the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games last September. ‘My illness gave me the opportunity to engage in wheelchair fencing and take part in overseas competitions which opened up my world,’ Chui-yee said. She recalled that she has been very active since childhood. After recovery from cancer, she had intended to learn swimming but took up wheelchair fencing by chance and grew fond of it. Chui-yee found the sport irresistible with its combination of intelligence and strength. She loves the challenge of having to identify an opponent’s strength and weakness within a short time during contests. Thanks to her strong physique, Chui-yee mastered the basic skills quickly and advanced to perfecting her technique. She also had the blessing of being trained by a coach who inspired her and enabled her to fully develop her potential. In 2000, the fledgling fencer, at the age of 17, competed in the National Games for the Handicapped of China. Four 每個人身邊都會有很多機會，所以 要隨時裝備好自己，當機會來臨， 才能夠把握。 余翠怡 Opportunities are all around, so you need to be well prepared to grasp them when they come your way. Yu Chui-yee