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September 2020
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Surviving Life’s Adventures in Extreme Corners of the World

How long is 250 kilometres? It is about the same distance from the Clock Tower in Tsim Sha Tsui to Yingde, Qingyuan in Guangdong. If you drive, the fourhour drive may be too long for you. But there was someone willing to travel all the way to the Sahara Desert to run such a distance in order to start a different life.

 

Steve Lo was the first Hong Kong runner to complete the Grand Slam of ultra-marathons (eight ultramarathons held in seven continents). He was inspired by a speech while working for a financial institution previously, which set him off on the path to marathon running. “My boss at the time gave a vivid account of his experience running in the Marathon des Sables (also known as the Sahara Marathon). Then, I thought to myself that if my boss could finish the race even when in his 40s, there was no reason why I couldn’t do the same when I was still under 30s.” Just like that, Lo readily signed up for the next Sahara Marathon.

 

Inspirational speech triggered urge for ultra-challenges

Without much of a habit for physical exercise, he left for the Sahara Desert after just a few long hikes in Hong Kong. It was only afterwards that he realized he had really underestimated the difficulty of the race. 

 

Eating beans raw while enduring blistered feet 

How long is the Sahara Marathon? The answer is 254 kilometres, which is approximately the distance of six regular marathons. It takes seven days to complete the race, and that’s before considering the desert’s hot temperatures and other potentially dangerous conditions. It is worth mentioning that participants of the race must pay for the shipment of their corpse in advance on top of signing a safety and risk declaration form.

 

Lo managed to finish the race, but not before suffering the horrendous ordeal in the process. “My feet were covered in blisters.” In addition, for his meals at night, he had to soak the food in cold water before forcing himself to eat it. “We even ate beans raw!” In the desert, where temperatures vary greatly, these cold meals were unforgettable moments for him.

 

Besides the wounds on his feet, Lo also suffered from diarrhoea because of the unfamiliar environment. He wanted to give up, but the support helicopter flew away before he could reach it. Perhaps it was fated. He had to accept his fate and endured the multi-day race one step at a time. In the end, he survived hell and came through on the other side.

 

Sharing blood and sweat experiences at campuses 

“After the race, I didn't feel I did great. Everything just felt normal.” Instead, the Sahara experience planted many ideas in his mind. For example, a chat with a participant from another country made him aware that there are marathons being held in Antarctica, which led him to participate in both the Arctic and Antarctic Marathons subsequently, and seeing disabled participants in wheelchairs became a source of ideas for one of the key projects for “Wheel For Oneness” which he founded later.

Lo finally completed the eight ultramarathons across seven continents by 2015. He wanted to share his observations and reflections of his experiences with young people through giving speeches. So, starting from his alma mater, he untiringly visited local schools.

 

Overcoming the ultrachallenges in our society

Gradually, he experienced a sense of satisfaction from his efforts. Therefore, he willingly gave up his high-paying job and founded “Wheel for Oneness” in 2017. In 2018, he led over 40 people to take part in the 100km Gobi Desert Ultra Marathon. Among them were people who are visually or hearing impaired and an amputee. Underlying all these activities is his proposition of mutual assistance among the handicapped. “I'm sure no one wants help from others throughout their entire lives. I want them to learn to help each other and stay strong. “In addition to this, “Wheel for Oneness” moves further into the community and offers sign language classes for better integration between the able-bodied and handicapped people. 

 

Lo's plans were inevitably obstructed by COVID-19. However, after several years of operation, the activities organized by “Wheel for Oneness” had earned it a lot of goodwill, and many young people who had participated in the activities  became its core members. During the COVID-19 period, they held online tuition classes and some children who have difficulty in walking even distributed COVID-19 supplies. As it turned out, people who should be helped can also contribute to the society. This is a proof that giving is more blessed than receiving.

“Sometimes, we don’t have to fly abroad for ultra-challenges. “The road to integration between the able-bodied and handicapped people is not a straightforward one. Isn't this an “ultra-challenge” in our society? But Lo believes that by putting a little effort at a time, we will eventually be able to overcome the Sahara Desert and the North and South poles of our society.