“Stars to Shine” Mentorship Programme aims at providing newly retired HK athletes (mentees) with an additional avenue of learning through experience sharing and interaction with seasoned retired famous HK athletes who have successfully developed their second career and gained a wealth of working experience(mentors).
Learning is like rowing upstream; not to advance is to drop back. To enhance athletes’ academic qualifications for their future career development, HKACED provides wide range of educational supports to athletes, from Scholarship Programmes to consultations and General English Courses.
Knowledge and skills are necessary for athletes to be competitive in our fast-moving and resourceful society. Hence, Life Skills Training Programme is an essential part of the HKACED in creating opportunities to support and enhance athletes’ competitiveness for their next career goal.
Since 2019, I have been studying nursing in a part-time program. Throughout this time, juggling the roles of a student, part-time athlete, and full-time nurse, I have constantly worried about tuition fees and time management every semester. The high cost of living in Hong Kong has added an invisible pressure on me, affecting my mental state and athletic performance. Fortunately, last year, the HKACED optimized the education scholarship program. This not only relieved my financial concerns on my learning journey but, more importantly, significantly reduced my psychological burden, allowing me to feel more relaxed and at ease both on the field and in my professional career.
I sincerely appreciate the trust and support from the HKACED, providing funding through the education scholarship programme that has enabled me to successfully pursue a Master’s degree in Chinese Language and Literature. This Scholarship has allowed me to focus on my studies, enhance myself, and fully unleash my potential. I will strive to study hard and live up to expectations, aiming to become a qualified primary school teacher in both physical education and Chinese language. I am dedicated to giving back to the society and the sports community.
As an elite triathlon student athlete in Hong Kong, in addition to pursuing excellence on races, it is also important to maintain good academic performance to lay a solid foundation for future career. I have always hoped to study at a university abroad to broaden my horizons and be connected with the world. Of course, several top universities in Ontario, Canada are among my top choices. The science and aviation programme of University of Waterloo is my first priority. I accidentally learned about the athlete scholarship program by HKACED and Ontario eSchool. As a student-athlete, I can focus on training while also taking care of my studies without financial pressure to obtain the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). To make it easier to connect to courses from various universities in Ontario and increase the chance of enrolment.
“I love rowing sport. I have put all my efforts on training and neglected studies throughout my athlete career. After my athletic retirement, I wanted to become a rowing coach and realized that academic qualification is important. I decided to apply courses to prepare myself a professional coach. However, the school-fees was a big burden for me at that time. Gratefully, HKACED Education Scholarship Programme provided me the scholarship to study the Certificate in Advanced Personal Fitness Trainer and the Higher Diploma in Sport Coaching and Sport Performance. With the help from HKACED, I can chase my dream without worries.”
Communication is one of the most important skills in society nowadays. Athletes with good communication skills would assist them in bringing out their full talent. “I have joined the “MC and TV Presentation Skills” and “Presentation Skills” trainings held by HKACED and I have learned to express myself clearly and adopt various communication skills for different occasions.”
“I studied mechanical engineering in the university and learned from HKACED for the MTR Graduate Trainee Programme. Being a graduate engineer in MTR, my job is to ensure the train safety by carrying out the inspection and maintenance work carefully. I have a strong dedication to my job.”
Sherman was successfully employed by BOCHK as a Management Trainee through HKACED’s referral. “I am grateful for HKACED and BOCHK both attach great value to Hong Kong athletes and their staunch supports. Through the crossroads of life, I laid down my bow and arrows and waved goodbye to the stadium where on I fell, triumphed and endeavored. The MT program of BOCHK becomes my next stage to sweat and shine. Nurtured under an all-rounded professional training, facing obstacles and challenges that lie ahead, I’m ready to keep my eyes on target and make every shot count as they did yesterday.”
RATP offers athlete a transformation period to enter and adopt the working environment. Not only the programme provides job opportunities, it also offers education subsidy for athletes to equipment themselves, which helps to boost our competitiveness.
After retiring with a gold medal won at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, I participated in RATP and was successfully matched with SF&OC Sports Legacy Company Limited (SLCL). I hopes to leverage my identity as a retired athlete to give back to the sport industry and continue supporting the development of sports in Hong Kong. Like other retired athletes, I had to adapt to a change in athletic identity and the workplace. I am grateful to have a team that guides me well and shows tolerance towards me at work. The RATP team has also been supportive and provided advice when I felt confused. During my time at SLCL, my mainly responsibility have been administration work, such as procurement, managing the coaching team, and liaison tasks. This experience has enriched my work
experience for my future transformation.
I hopes to balance work and further education after retirement, knowing that RATP provides stable employment for retired athletes and allows for flexible working hours to encourage beneficiaries to pursue further education. Therefore, I decided to sign up for the program.
After retiring, I considered transitioning into a teaching career. Therefore, I chose to work as a SSPC, which helped me understand the working environment, culture, patterns, and structure of schools. During my three-year tenure, I made good use of the school environment to organize various sports activities, encouraging students to play and try different sports. At the same time, I took advantage of my time to actively pursue further education, enriching my qualifications and enhancing my competitiveness in the workplace. Dare to try and strive for the best in doing everything well is my working motto. It has allowed me to receive different
job opportunities in the past three years. Leaving my comfort zone and gaining different experiences have brought
me to another stage.
It is my privilege and pleasure to deliver my heartfelt appreciation on the RATP’s supporting to retiring and retired athletes.
Through the RATP, I was assigned to the Hong Kong Football Association Limited as a Sports Secretariat Administrator. Huge thanks for the help from my supervisor and my workmates, I have supported the AGM, Board Meetings and Committee Meetings and handled the whole house of secretarial works and documentary services. I am currently the leader of the force task team for delegating the job duties. I have organized the Member's activities and members' luncheon and provided all-rounded event management. Recently, I am very glad that I have been appointed and given the opportunity to organize and coordinate the international event - CUHK Sports Medicine x AFC President’s x HKFA Travelling Fellow 2022 in HONG KONG.
RATP plays an important supportive role in my career transformation.
I participated in the RATP after retired as a boxing athlete. I am now working as a School Sports Promotion Coordinator for The Methodist Lee Wai Lee College. I am interested in working at school because I can promote boxing to students. It is sincerely hoped that boxing can bring enjoyment to students so as to change their inherent impression on boxing. Students can train up their fitness and sportsmanship through boxing, and explore their talent and interest in sports. On the other hand, handling administration work, communicating and maintaining good relationships with students are the difficulties that I have to overcome. Learning from experienced supervisor and colleagues are necessary.
I was assigned to work as a sports promotor in schools, the process has allowed me to initiate the influx of Karatedo into the campus. It was gratifying to see the growth of the students after their engagement in the sport. Apart from promoting my sport of expertise, the RATP has provided schools with adequate resources to allow its students to experience niched sports, inspiring them to maximize their potential and challenge themselves. Retired athletes can also share with students the experience they have encountered regarding training, injury rehabilitation and even dietary knowledge, promoting the practice of adopting a healthy lifestyle throughout their lives.
Following the closure of my 10-year career as a full-time athlete, I was successfully matched with Maryknoll Father’s School through HKACED’s ‘Retired Athletes Transformation Programme’, serving as a coordinator of sports promotion. The challenges I have faced in my new position differed from those I have encountered in the past as an athlete. As an athlete, my only focus was on training and competition, there were very limited factors I had to be concerned with. As a coordinator however, I not only had to handle administrative work related to sports promotion, I also spent an extensive amount of time communicating with teachers and students in bettering the sporting environment of the school, which could promote student participation in various types of sports. Thankfully, HKACED has provided me with plentiful amount of support, ranging from training to educational talks that all contributed to my smooth adaptation into my new field of work.
HO Fung Chi, Gigi, retired sport climbing athlete, graduated from the Advanced Diploma in Sport Coaching and Performance under the education subsidy of RATP. “Managing advanced study and work entailed strenuous efforts at the very beginning. I have tried different ways to overcome the difficulties, hence, I have adapted the pace very soon. It would be slightly panic for me to carry out the intensive working and assignment schedules. Though it was stressful, good time management and clear mind-set overcame the challenges and difficulties. I will keep studying advanced to equip myself when time and money are in good status.”
The road I embarked on after my retirement from Bowling was strenuous. I was well over the ripe age of an athlete, and years of athletic training has had me lacking in format schooling and work experience. The numerous setbacks I have encountered eventually led to my juncture with HKACED’s ‘Retired Athletes Transformation Programme’, which gave me the opportunity to work as a coordinator of sports promotion at Kowloon Technical School. The programme has facilitated by career transition process, giving me the valuable chance to continue my post-retirement education alongside a stable job at hand, which will inarguably assist in preparing me for sports administrative work in the future.
I was successfully employed as the coordinator of sports promotion for Sing Yin Secondary School through the ‘Retired Athletes Transformation Programme’ after my retirement. The programme gave me better insight on how to organize and facilitate the promotion of a sporting event, as well as the necessary administrative processes. Working on campus also allowed me to interact with younger students, giving me the opportunity to enhance their sports performance, abilities and most importantly, interests. Moreover, the RATP has provided me with various professional training courses that has helped increase my competitiveness in the current society.
As a retired Sports Climbing athlete, my initial objective when joining the RATP was to gain experience in the field of sports promotion, utilizing the lessons I have learnt as an athlete and coach to give back to Hong Kong’s sports community. My current work as a ‘Director of Sports Promotion in Schools’ at CCC Kei San Secondary School has given me the opportunity to work alongside teachers during PE lessons and organizing future plans regarding the promotion of sports. Apart from providing me the valuable chance to immerse in the practical aspects of sports promotion, the RATP has also given me financial support for pursuing a postgraduate education.
I was able to settle in a stable working environment and continue my pursuance of various goals after joining the ‘Retired Athletes Transformation Programme’. Having worked extensively on campus, I was able to experience the difficulties teachers encounter during their work, giving me a more comprehensive understanding on the diverse considerations an educator must make. The programme also provides an array of training courses such as electronic software tutorials for retired athletes, helping them prepare for their transitions into a new working environment.
The RATP has allowed me to broaden my horizon, the opportunity to immerse within schoolwork gave me a profound understanding on the operations of an educational institute. The plethora of resources provided by HKACED gave me the chance to better equip myself in both knowledge and daily life skills, I was able to gain much needed confidence along the way.
I have taken part in the ‘Retired Athletes Transformation Programme’ after my athletic retirement, the programme has given me the chance to work as a director of sports promotion at Queen Elizabeth School. I was able to promote my sport of Triathlon within the school, allowing for more students to understand and appreciate the sport and the values o perseverance strongly associated with the event of Triathlon.
I was a softball athlete and I love this game so much. I wish I can contribute to the promotion of this sport after retirement. Through RATP, I was matched to Hong Kong Softball Association as the Promotion Coordinator. In the past few months, it was a challenge for me to adapt to the new environment. There are definitely big differences between the work place and sports field, but I am confident that I can overcome. RATP provides me a workplace, together with the on-job training and education subsidy. I think it is a good support for retired or retiring athletes’ transformation.
The ‘Retired Athletes Transformation Programme’ has given me the opportunity to engage in further studies after my retirement, my role as a sports promotion director in schools has allowed me to share the positive attitudes of sportsmanship with students.
I am eternally thankful for HKACED and my assigned school for giving me the opportunity to devote myself in this new field of work. Their constant support has given me the chance to work as a coordinator of sports promotion and complete my Postgraduate master’s degree at the same time. I have benefited a great deal from the work I have done over the past two years, apart from gaining administrative knowledge, my interactions with the younger generation has also given the opportunity to strike a positive influence in the community.
I was able to work at Tin Shui Wai Methodist College as a coordinator of sports promotion under the RATP, overseeing the development of sports within the wall of the campus. The nature of work between my current role and a full-time athlete was strikingly different, it forced me to make important adjustments to my style of work and habits. I was fortunate to have the full support of the principal and many colleagues, as well as HKACED in providing various training opportunities and lectures to help me assimilate smoothly into my new position.
" “Don't be afraid of being late.” I think athletes, with their perseverance and hard work, can re-learn and adapt to areas other than their own training, creating a new page in life.” HKACED's athlete employment and education consulting services provided athletes with diverse training courses, study, employment counseling and opportunities. Cheng Tsz-man Chris had received HKACED’s athlete consulting services to understand his individual needs, discuss the development of academic studies, and assist him to prepare himself for the future.
With the support of HKACED, WONG Wan-yiu was able to re-commence her studies after having joined various of careers and life skills training courses post-HKACED consultation. “Although I have only returned to school and have transitioned into a new career in my late 20s; but it has definitely been an opportunity that could not be missed, as I have always learned to strive for the best as an athlete and to treasure every opportunity given.”
Sinney, first consulted the HKACED in 2014, and had begun to think about retiring from the National Baseball Team. “HKACED had helped me a great deal through its consultation process, I was offered a chance to be part of the HKACED Ambassador Programme; this programme not only gave me the opportunity to learn more about other sports as an Elite Athlete Ambassador, but most importantly I was able to pass on and share my passion of Baseball at the same time.” These programmes have assisted the transition development of Sinney, providing her an opportunity to experience different roles of job duties as an ambassador and she has gained a deeper understanding of herself and her future career direction as well.
