After more than a decade in competitive climbing and a cabinet of trophies to prove it, Hong Kong champion Yau Ka-chun has Tokyo 2020 in his sights.
The 27-year-old hopes to make an impact when the sport makes its debut at the Olympics next summer. But Yau must first qualify for the Games by performing well in the Asian Continental Championships in Japan in May.
“The competition will be tough, with all the climbing champions in Asia taking part,” Yau says. “But as an athlete, I will be confident and try my best.”
Sport climbing at the Olympics has a demanding format, with climbers competing in all of its main disciplines: lead, speed, and bouldering.
As the Hong Kong champion in lead and speed, and winning the Asia Cup for bouldering, Yau is well versed in all three.
Growing up in a single-parent family as one of three siblings raised by his mother, he learned about climbing aged 14 at a community centre, and has committed himself to the sport ever since.
Yau had to take odd jobs in construction, park maintenance and climbing coaching to achieve the tough balancing act of making enough money to support himself, while dedicating sufficient time to fulfil his sporting ambitions.
Despite the challenges – such as an unstable income and exhaustion – he says he has never seriously entertained the idea of packing it all in.
“I thought about giving up climbing and taking up a normal full-time job, but my love for climbing has kept me going,” he says.
His efforts have paid off, making him stronger, both physically and mentally.
In 2015, he won a national climbing competition for bouldering, and went full-time as an athlete.
Yau has a gruelling schedule. He trains 28 hours a week over three days, working on his strength and practising different routes.
The varying layouts of walls require climbers to be quick and flexible in working out the fastest way to the top, with athletes forced to make sudden adjustments to gain a competitive edge.
To Yau, that brings extreme challenges, but is also what sets climbing apart from other sports.
“We face new, different routes and challenges every time we climb – this is what makes climbing fun,” he says.
Every year, Yau and his fellow climbers travel overseas for training, to destinations such as Japan and Europe. He says Hong Kong’s climbing resources are insufficient, and most are designed for beginners.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department provides four indoor and nine outdoor sport climbing facilities across the city.
Like most athletes, Yau has endured hardships, such as injuries, on the path to success.
Aside from repeated finger afflictions, he has damaged his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. It took him more than a month of physiotherapy to recover.
But injuries are not the most difficult part for Yau, who says scaling walls can be a lonely challenge.
Yau, who sees himself as in the prime of his career, says he likes climbing with others because of the motivation that provides and the teamwork involved in working out the best routes.
“For me, the most difficult part of climbing is when you climb alone,” he says. “You have to overcome fear, and keep climbing to the top.”
