KPMG employees take on MoonTrekker; pushing the limits forges bonds between partners, colleagues and newcomers
- The consultancy firm has 120 employees taking part in the race as they see the benefits of friendship and fitness filter through the office
Just a few years ago, the idea of running for hours through the mountains would have been unthinkable for Anita Chau, marketing director, KPMG. But on Friday, she is taking on her fifth 42km Barclays MoonTrekker, and set on running the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker next month.
“I was completely alien to something like this,” she said. “I had never run in my life until that first year. But the good thing is when you sign up for something like this you have to maintain fitness.”
But Chau’s rise to trail running has not happened in isolation. Since then, her company has got behind the idea, sponsored MoonTrekker and have 120 employees running across the three distances – 30km, 40km and 50km – on Friday.
KPMG has multiple “interest groups” and five years ago they managed to convince 15 of the hiking group’s members to sign up for the MoonTrekker, which takes runners across Lantau and over the impressive Lantau Peak. Runners try to reach the finish before sunrise.
Pat Woo, partner and head of corporate social responsibility, said: “We feel like these community projects, these collaborative projects bring us together.”