Former wayward Hong Kong youth has kicked bad habits, persevered on way to becoming social worker
- Student athlete Sam Ngan’s efforts to get on the right track, both figuratively and literally, have earned him a nomination for the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards
- After leaving behind a troublemaking youth, Ngan hopes to help others do the same in the future
Sam Ngan Shu-sum decided to quit smoking the moment he stood on a rostrum to receive a prize at a sports event.
After taking the bronze at the Duathlon Series in Hong Kong in September 2017, the then 15-year-old – who had already been a smoker for two years at that point – was eager to boost his stamina to improve in sport.
“I believed I could do better,” Ngan, now 19, recalled, adding that he had struggled while training for the event, which combines running and cycling, and requires a high level of physical strength.
He had found himself out of breath during races, and realised it was time he kicked the unhealthy habit.
Since then, the aspiring social worker, who later chose to focus on cycling as his main sport, has grown to believe that people can change their fate.
