Paralympian runner William So Wa-wai
Paralympian runner William So Wa-wai competed in five Paralympic Games between 1996 and 2012, medalling 12 times—of which half were gold medals. The 32-year-old also holds the world record for the Men’s 200m in the T36 classification, for athletes with cerebral palsy. He tells Yannie Chan about the Paralympic life, his aspirations in the IT sector, and his relationship with Andy Lau.
I was born with jaundice, and it was so severe it damaged my brain. That’s why I can’t hear clearly and I have occasional seizures.
I grew up in Oi Man Estate, and went to the Hong Kong Red Cross Princess Alexandra School. I loved it because I made many friends.
I first became interested in running because of the things you can win. I was enamored by the medals and prizes. I won one at a school competition, and wanted to win more.
In 1994, my coach Poon Kin-lui spotted me in my school sports day. He thought I had what it took to go through training. Possibly because I had better control of my limbs.
At first, I was lazy and rebellious. When I got tired, I’d just sit on the ground and refuse to run any more laps.
The 1996 Paralympic Games was my first. My only memory was of Coca-Cola, which sponsored the event. We had a free and unlimited supply of the drink.
