Hong Kong Olympian Vivian Kong writes heartfelt letter to parents urging support for child’s fencing dreams – ‘everyone has their own path’
- Former world No 1 says she has received messages from aspiring young fencers whose parents ‘think they are not super-talented or training hard enough’
- ‘Let her enjoy her favourite sport and encourage her to find all the life lessons we can learn from sports,’ Kong pleads in letter
Hong Kong Olympian Vivian Kong Man-wai has publicly shared a letter she wrote to a young local fencer’s parents encouraging them to foster their child’s passion for the sport.
The 27-year-old former Asian champion, and the first Hong Kong fencer to win a World Cup title in 2019, said she had received several messages from aspiring fencers whose parents “think they are not super-talented or not training hard enough”.
In response, she posted a screenshot on her Instagram account of a “humble letter” she had sent to one of the parents, with individual names blurred out, in the hopes others will see her words and consider allowing their children to pursue athletic endeavours.
“I’d first like to say a tremendous thank you for raising [redacted] to become such a sweet, empathetic and kind little girl. I’m sending lots of love to you and your family.
“[Redacted] has told me how much she loves fencing, how hard she’s working, and how much she wants to do well. She has shown me how much she cares about her parents and what you think and say about her.
“I can only imagine the stress and pressure you have as parents and thank you for the unconditional love you have for your children. But I really hope you can trust [redacted]. Let her enjoy her favourite sport and encourage her to find all the life lessons we can learn from sports. The most important lessons I learned from fencing were not from winning medals, but being able to enjoy the hard work, staying hopeful, and loving what I do.
