Reaching great heights by overcoming hurdles

14/04/2018

There is a famous Chinese saying: “Failure is the mother of success”. This is easier said than done, as not all of us have the courage to move forward toward achieving success after experiencing failure. One notable exception, however, is Ada Tsang, one of the star instructors of the JC Youth Football Leadership Scheme . After two failed attempts at climbing Mount Everest, she remained determined to strive harder and overcome challenges, and eventually became the first Hong Kong female to reach the summit. Her perseverance and dedication is something that youngsters in Hong Kong should reflect on and learn from.

Formerly a secondary school teacher, Tsang always encouraged her students to pursue their dreams. To engage them, she made them a promise that she would conquer Mount Everest and quit her job to prepare for the expedition. In 2014, she made her first attempt to scale Everest’s tallest peak, but an earthquake disrupted her trip. The following year, she took up the challenge again, but another earthquake led to an avalanche that killed five of her teammates and left her with a bad head injury, broken ribs and a torn ligament. Despite the trauma, she never gave up on her goal, but instead worked to make herself even stronger. In May 2017, she finally realised her dream of reaching the summit.

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  Ada Tsang shared the experience of overcoming challenges after two failed attempts at climbing Mount Everest, and eventually became the first Hong Kong female to reach the summit.

In mid-March, Tsang became an instructor at the JC Youth Football Leadership Scheme  training camp in Cheung Chau. As part of the activities, she conducted a “volley pass” game that required young leaders to form teams and then use any part of their bodies to pass a ball a specific number of times within a two-hour time limit. If any team member dropped or missed the ball, the whole team would be sent back to square one. The teams enthusiastically discussed the best strategies for success and gradually figured out the tricks. With each attempt, they got closer to the number of passes required to “win”. One team declared they had successfully completed the mission, but Tsang’s ability to catch even the tiniest detail revealed that, in fact, they had not. When time was called, none of the teams had managed to fulfill the criteria. Although there were some complaints and groans, they never ceased to encourage each other and uphold their morale. They realised that the game had taught them an invaluable lesson.

Drawing on her experience as a teacher, Tsang explained that no one had successfully completed the task and that she had witnessed the young leaders complaining and arguing with each other until eventually they gave up the challenge. Tsang hoped that the participants learned from the game that one does not always succeed the first time, be it in an examination, in competition, or when being selected as a sports player. When failure strikes, it is important that one understands the problems faced. Taking her experience as an example, she said: “I suffered major trauma during my second attempt to scale Everest, and it took quite a long time for me to recover. As I reviewed my failure, I came to realise that injury was my biggest enemy; so I rested and focused on taking good care of my body to prepare for my next challenge.”

Whilst it is true that some choose to avoid difficulties and failures, Tsang believes that only determination and conviction can build one’s path to success: Solve the core problem; adjust the mindset, and face the challenge again. She explained that “the experience gained from failure is a key factor in surviving the next challenge: it teaches us how to learn from the process and develop stamina.” In other words: “No pain, no gain”. After recovering from her injuries, Tsang worked on building up her stamina, and eventually, she pulled off an impressive feat. From Tsang’s experience, the young leaders learned to take any setbacks in their classroom performance as valuable learning experiences and to continue striving to embrace future challenges to improve themselves.

Although they failed the “volley pass” challenge, the young leaders continued to demonstrate team spirit, and Tsang was impressed with their determination and morale. The first Hong Kong female standing at the top of the world believes that with this passion and undefeated spirit, they will be able to overcome the challenges ahead. In the coming two months, their practical lessons will include going out into the community to provide football services. Undoubtedly, they will encounter many difficulties and setbacks, yet Tsang hopes that by sharing their “never give up” spirit among the teams and with other children, they will progress and become true leaders.