Page 7 - CUHK MEDICAL ALUMNI Newsletter Issue 1 Vol 5 2017

FEATURES
06

JUDO PHILOSOPHY OF

“NEVER GIVING UP” HELPS DOCTOR

THROUGH MANY ADVERSITIES

r Zenon Yeung may be a surgeon “It is through repeated failures and falls that we
Dof Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) at learn to get back up and fight.”
Tseung Kwan O and United Christian
Hospitals but did you know
he can throw you to the - Dr Zenon Yeung Wing-chi
ground if need be? You （楊穎智醫生, MBChB 2009）
see, Dr Yeung has a
black belt in Judo, a
form of martial arts.
Dr Yeung took up He says Judo has being busy, shared their experiences
Judo at a young instilled in him with me.”
age because it the fighting spirit He calls on young doctors to "seize
seemed the most of “never giving the moment". “Medical school is
natural thing to do at up” and that has extremely busy and demanding. It
the time - to follow in helped him through is easy to overlook the important
his sister’s footsteps. “She many adversities. people around us or things happening
was four years older than me “Judo is a very special sport. around us at the University. We must
and started training two years earlier It requires strength, skills and tactics. enjoy the present moment, don't
than me.”
It takes a long time to perfect this let university life pass by without
That training for Dr Yeung did not stop sport. We need to go through a stage truly enjoying it! Make friends, do
even when he joined the Faculty of in which we have to endure being some extraordinary things!”
Medicine at The Chinese University of repeatedly thrown by others. It is
Hong Kong (CUHK). He went on to win through repeated failures and falls that
several trophies and prizes, becoming we learn to get back up and fight.”
the joint university champion for two But being a surgeon has had its
years in 2007 and 2009.
drawbacks when it came to Judo. “I
He enrolled in different Judo institutes decided to give it up because, during
and played in mainland China as my second year at the University, I broke
well as in the UK. He befriended my right forearm while competing with
Judo icons such as Cheung Siu-chin, a Japanese opponent in the Hong
Hui Chun-man and Ho Chi-tung, in Kong Judo Championships.”
order to learn from them.
But the injury did not stop
And having a famous Judo instructor, him from continuing with his
Chan Siu-shing, as coach also helped training until he graduated.
Dr Yeung tremendously. Besides H e h a s s i n c e q u i t
mastering techniques from Chan, competitive Judo and
he also learned one of the main only practises the sport
philosophies of Judo. “My coach told occasionally. “I need to
me…even if we lost a match, we must have a meticulous and
not give up. We need to learn from steady pair of hands as
our losses and see what we can do to a surgeon,” he explains.
further improve and then come back
again the next time.” Dr Yeung remembers his
alma mater fondly. “CUHK
In Judo, Dr Yeung explains, one can is like a big family. We are all
lose a game within three seconds. And proud of being a part of
can come back to compete again, only it. I really appreciate my
after a year of training. mentors who, despite