Every Hurdle is a Chance to Grow

“Listen to your body.” While some may feel that this is a just a cliché, there are people who, through instinct or experience, have learned to successfully take on this advice and let it shape their lives. Chloe Pak Hoi Man is one of them. Chloe is in her first year of study in the MBBS programme at the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine and was admitted into HKU through the Top Athletes Direct Admission Scheme.

One of her earliest memories of listening to her body was when she won a silver medal in the 100m races at her school’s sports day. She was in Primary One at the time and had had no prior preparation. “I really enjoyed the thrill of sprinting at high speed,” she recalls, and by secondary school she had taken on the hurdles as well. “Running allows me to set goals and pursue them directly, with endless opportunities for improvement and new techniques to explore,” she says, adding. “The satisfaction of achieving these goals, progressing bit by bit is incredibly rewarding, and has deepened my passion towards this sport.”

Having grown up with this awareness of her body and how it performs, it is perhaps unsurprising that Chloe chose to study medicine at HKU. “Aside from the fact that I am deeply intrigued by the intricacies of the human body, I am also drawn to the human side of medicine,” she says. While job shadowing at hospitals, she discovered not only how medicine transcends clinical diagnoses and procedures, but also how it can create deeper connections between doctors and patients, built on compassion and trust. She was deeply moved to see doctors not only healing patients physically, but also addressing their emotional well-being, which has inspired her to embody that same compassion in her future practice.

She was first drawn to HKU because of its diverse student body and the many opportunities it provides. “Academically, I am looking forward to the Enrichment Year in Year 3. It will be a time for me to freely explore the things that interest me beyond the MBBS curriculum,” she says. She hopes to study or participate in humanitarian programs overseas, so that she can gain international exposure and new perspectives.

Lessons from her life as an athlete continue to serve her well in her university life, such as dealing with failure and overcoming challenges. Once, at a local competition, she remembers falling on the track just short of the finishing line, causing her to lose the gold medal for that race. The emotional impact was shattering and even made her afraid of hurdling again. “It felt like going back to square one.” However, out of the darkness came a revelation: she started to see each hurdle she took on as an opportunity for growth rather than potential for failure, and constantly reminded herself that she had to face and tackle these obstacles, instead of avoiding them.

Step by step, one hurdle at a time, she gradually regained her confidence, leading her to achieve surprising results at overseas competitions, including the gold medal at the Asian Youth Athletics Championships in 2022 and the silver at the Asian Junior Athletics Championships in 2023, as well as breaking both the Hong Kong U18 and U20 records for women’s 100m hurdles.

Chloe hopes to be able to make the most of her university life and develop herself holistically, by actively participating in different activities – such as volunteering – to enrich both her knowledge and experience, as well as to explore potential areas of interest to develop in the future.

Balancing her studies with training is certainly not easy, but she tries her best to manage her time wisely, even if it means sacrificing things like entertainment or leisure time. “Running is one of the ways to relieve stress as well, as I can take a break from studies and recharge,” she says, observing that “stress comes from genuinely caring about something and wanting to excel, so I usually try to transform it into motivation instead of letting it hold me back. Even if things get tough, this journey will still be enjoyable if I think of it as an opportunity for constant learning and growth.”

She hopes to be able to positively inspire people, especially young athletes, and eventually develop community outreach programmes that encourage young athletes to pursue both academics and sports. She also aims to integrate her medical knowledge and athletic experiences to promote the importance of health and wellness in the athletic community.

“To me, success was never about comparing with others, but about becoming a better version of yourself. I will eagerly embrace challenges and stay committed to my goals, improving upon myself step by step,” she says, adding, “If you find something that brings you joy, don’t be afraid to pursue it. Trust the process, as you will never know where your passions will take you unless you take the first step and go for it.”

At times when she wanted to give up, Chloe would look back on her journey and remind herself of how far she’d come. “‘Remember why you started,’” she says. “I will carry on this quote with me as I embark on my medical journey, reminding myself of my initial motivation – to serve people – so that I can persevere through the challenges ahead.”