Guide runner helps blind and deaf athletes enjoy team spirit

Flood lights pour bright, hot rays on to the Hammer Hill Sports Ground in Choi Hung. The lush, green pitch is circled by a rust red athletic track. Eight lanes, delineated by freshly painted, white lines, mark the track for more than 100 hot, sweaty bodies running laps on a balmy September evening.

On the sidelines, people sit, stretch, talk technique, and gossip. Some speak, some sign, and some do both. Kate Cheung Fung-oi stands among a group of panting runners dressed in neon orange jerseys. Using a mixture of words and gestures, she is giving feedback to her team of blind and deaf runners.

“I want everybody to achieve their goal, and have a happy life,” she said. “I think disabled people have an inner strength. Through these sports activities they feel happy, their endorphins are released when they achieve their goals. Everyone has a dream they can make come true.” Her admiration for her team of runners is obvious. “Look at me. I’m a short lady, and I can run a marathon!” she said with a laugh.

Cheung trains disabled and guide runners most nights a week. And in her spare time, she travels the world to run off-road races up to 100km long in Japan, Mongolia, Thailand, Korea and France.

“Chamonix [in southeastern France] is a very good place to run. It’s very steep. One race went up five mountains,” she said. “And when I told the [blind and deaf] team about my adventure, they were very happy to learn of it. It’s new to them and they can imagine it”.

For Cheung, running is very much a team sport. “I received a call today about a girl with just one arm who wants to lead a blind runner in the Standard Chartered run. It’s challenging, but I think it’s good to do!” said Cheung.