Falling on the ice hurts. But the pain hasn't scared figure skater Harry Lee Hau-yin away from the sport. Falls encourage him to seek perfection in upcoming competitions.
Harry was inspired to start skating by his elder sister, Phyllis Lee Tze-ching.
'I started skating at five years old, after seeing Phyllis having lessons on the ice. I wanted to prove to myself that I could jump higher than her,' he says.
The gifted Harry has evolved into the five-time champion of the Hong Kong Figure Skating Championships. He won his first title for under-15 skaters in 2007 and four more titles in the junior category for under-18s from 2008 to 2011.
He makes winning titles look easy, but actually he works hard throughout the year. Unlike skaters in Europe - or in Japan, South Korea or northern China - Harry doesn't have an iced road surface or a gigantic ice rink to practise on, and his training time is limited to non-business hours at the ice rink. While most Young Post readers are having their breakfast and preparing for school, Harry is already at Glacier, the ice rink at Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong. The ice rink sponsors the national team training sessions in the early mornings and after 10pm on weekdays.
Usually Harry starts his training before 7.30am and he has about two hours with his national team coach Zhao Ying.
'I have joined this morning session regularly since Form Three,' says the student from Pui Ching Middle School. 'I applied for special permission from school to skip the prayer time and first two lessons.' He rushes back to school in Mong Kok before the first recess ends every day. It is a tiring routine.
