'There were numerous things I wanted to introduce into this company, such as scuba-diving programmes, first-aid courses and outdoor adventure days,' she says. 'But I was informed by my then employer that these activities would mean a lot of work with little financial return, and besides my schedule was already full with trampoline, gymnastics and swimming teaching.'

She launched Premier Sport and Leisure in September 2002, providing coaching and outdoor activities primarily directed at young people. The venture involved a $100,000 capital investment in office equipment, camping equipment and insurance. Its programmes are an extension of her view that overcoming physical challenges helps build confidence and self-esteem.

'The obvious thing to do was establish my own firm, cut out the middle man and introduce my own programmes,' she says.

'I initially managed to secure two contracts, coaching tennis one afternoon a week and teaching swimming on two afternoons, providing me with a small income and eliminating some of the financial pressure.'

She completed her post-secondary education at the Manchester Metropolitan University, where she completed a three-year undergraduate degree in sport and exercise science. She returned to Hong Kong after graduating.

After just over two years in business Premier Sports is growing fast. The company is already recognised for its summer camp programmes and continues to build its brand among schools and sports clubs.

Recently she partnered with an English-language teaching company in a move that gave her access to a much broader client base.

'This has allowed us to diversify and introduce additional arts and drama programmes,' she says. 'In October we teamed for the first time with the Brazilian Soccer School to run a dedicated soccer and adventure camp which lasted four days and three nights, was a huge success and was hopefully the first of many.'

Low overhead costs helped her ride out the turbulent swings over the past two years. She avoided the cost of office overheads by working from home or coaching on location.

Course fees were generally paid upfront, allowing her to keep a positive cash flow.

'In 2003, Sars arrived in Hong Kong and hit us pretty hard as you can imagine,' she says. 'All the sites we used were temporarily closed and no-one wanted to know about group sports or activities. I was in the fortunate position of only having part-time staff who did not get paid if they did not work - so my overheads were manageable.'

The company now employs one full-time and seven part-time staff.

'I'm not sure that a young graduate like myself would have been able to establish a company such as this anywhere else in the world, as Hong Kong caters so well to small businesses in general and the entrepreneurial spirit in particular.'