Executives dig deep to prove their mettle
Corporate executives are competing in some of the world's toughest endurance events to prove their mettle
Running in the desert in summer would be unthinkable for most people, but not for Clive Saffery. He has run Badwater five times, a gruelling 217-kilometre ultramarathon through Death Valley, California, in temperatures so hot that the soles of his shoes melted.
As if not challenging enough, he juggled training for the race while holding an equally challenging full-time job as chief executive of Swire Beverages for the mainland and Hong Kong.
It takes a special type of person to do what they do. A-types have to be No1
Saffery, who is now retired, is one of a new generation of Hong Kong executives performing impressive feats of endurance in their limited spare time.
They comprise the bulk of participants at endurance running events held by Action Asia Events, says race director Michael Maddess. More than 19 per cent of participants last year were chief executives or managing directors, with another 32 per cent in managerial positions. More than 17 per cent earned more than HK$200,000 a month.
Most people struggle to find the time or energy to work out at all. Just how do these corporate athletes do it?