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Former Hong Kong elite swimmer now offers a winning formula through sports psychology

  • Rising swimming star gave up the sport after failing to improve
  • Now she works with other elite athletes as a mental performance consultant

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The Hong Kong woman’s senior Team Kata (L to R): Jenny To, Karman Ma and Wu Lok-man. Wu, 27, says Hong Kong athletes would benefit from a better understanding of sports psychology. Photo: Handout

Karen Lo Cheuk-hang was a rising swimming star when she quit the Hong Kong team in 2006 at the age of 17. At the time, she could not figure out why her competition results were so disappointing.

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“I was always unable to sleep and eat well before a competition, and sometimes I would make excuses to avoid competing,” said Lo, now 30.

“So, even when I performed well in training, I was unable to achieve good results in international meets. After a while, I just couldn’t see a point in continuing.”

Lo was 11 when she started training as an elite athlete. She had free access to services at the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI), including nutrition counselling, physiotherapy and sports psychology.

But it was not until after retiring from her sport that Lo learned about sports psychology by studying how high-performing athletes are able to improve.

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Karen Lo has worked been running a sports psychology business since 2015. Photo: Handout
Karen Lo has worked been running a sports psychology business since 2015. Photo: Handout
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