Challenge for youngsters caught in cycle of problems
City teenagers among 20 finalists who will embark on 400km bicycle ride from disaster-stricken Kaohsiung to test limit of their endurance
A young mainland immigrant is determined to test the limits of his endurance, starting in the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung which is still reeling from catastrophic gas explosions.
Chan Chi-keung, 20 - who migrated to Hong Kong from Jiangxi with his mother in December - is among 20 high-school students from the city who will embark on a six-day 400km cycling trip from Kaohsiung to Taipei starting today.
Finalists in the two-stage training programme titled "Adversity Challengers" run by Youth New World, a non-profit organisation, were selected from 130 contestants aged 15 to 18 in July after passing a series of endurance tests.
Ben Choy Ho-lun, of Youth New World, which provides educational support for children from low-income families, said some parents of the final contestants voiced concerns about the trip shortly after the gas explosions.
He said they immediately contacted their partner bicycle rental company in Kaohsiung, who conducted a test ride along the planned routes to ensure they were safe.
The explosions took place in a different district of the city and do not affect the planned routes.
"We intend to instil in our [final] contestants the notion that they really need to bite the bullet if they want to stand any chance of realising their dreams," Choy said.