Fighting cancer taught this Hong Kong sailing enthusiast to cherish ‘human connections’

In December 2013, Hongkonger Katy Tong was a few days out from embarking on a trip of a lifetime – a year-long working holiday in Australia. The event planner, then aged 28, had spent months sorting out a visa, planning an itinerary and working out what to pack. Tong was excited about her adventure, but her mother, Lin, was less so. Call it mother’s intuition, but Lin could not shake the feeling that all was not right with her daughter. A few months earlier, Tong, on her mother’s insistence, went for a doctor’s check-up after noticing a lump on the right side of her neck that she initially dismissed as fat. “It was soft and fleshy but not painful, so I went to a general practitioner and was given some pills and sent home, thinking it was just swelling,” Tong says. When the lump persisted, she visited a government hospital for tests. She was awaiting the results as she counted down to her departure for her dream trip down under. Tong took her mother’s advice and delayed her plans. She then got a shock diagnosis: stage-two Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This type of blood cancer affects the lymphatic system, part of the body’s immune system, which is made up of organs, tubelike vessels and lymph-cell clusters called lymph nodes – often referred to as glands. Symptoms include fever, itchy skin, night sweats, fatigue and unexplained weight loss. Painless lumps caused by swollen glands in areas such as the neck, collarbone, armpit and groin are another common sign. “I could not believe it – my whole life came to a sudden halt,” says Tong, who then underwent six months of chemotherapy. “The oncologist suggested chemotherapy instead of surgery to avoid a scar, as the tumour was large, about 7cm [2.75 inches].” Tong beat her cancer, but the experience – especially losing her hair – knocked her confidence and self-esteem. “During my treatment, I was really sad and also angry. The emotions you experience are very complicated,” she says. “You don’t want to look in the mirror because you hate yourself, and you don’t want to meet your friends. “When you’re young, so much focus is on the outside and not the inside,” she says. “It took me a long time to rebuild all that.” Before her diagnosis, Tong was a typical young woman enjoying life and working in event production, which involved a lot of stress and socialising. She never thought about health issues. “My job involved a lot of late nights, and then I’d wake up early without enough time for rest,” she says. “But at that age, you think you can manage it, so it’s OK.” The cancer scare was a wake-up call and the catalyst for a lifestyle overhaul. “It’s changed me a lot and made me realise just how unpredictable life is,” Tong says. “Before I got sick, I was all about working hard, playing hard and earning money so I could buy a house – you know, the same story that many people have. “My diagnosis made me realise that health is very important.” Since achieving remission, Tong has a fresh perspective on life, that “health is wealth”, and has made it her mission to enjoy every moment. “In the first year after being given the all-clear, I did a lot of travelling with my mum,” Tong says. She was keen to make lots of happy memories together; before her diagnosis, their relationship was a little rocky. Her renewed zest for life saw her embrace new activities: she obtained scuba and freediving licences. She explored underwater worlds from Komodo Island in Indonesia to the idyllic waters of the Maldives. She went cycling around Taiwan with a group of cancer survivors, camped and hiked in Morocco on a trip that included a visit to the Sahara Desert, and joined a sailing trip in Croatia. In 2024, Tong completed a half-marathon and, in January, will take part in her first full one. This year, she competed in her first Hyrox relay game. Tong’s mind has also been getting a workout. She completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology and dabbled in drama. “I did a performance once to challenge myself, but realised I’m not good at it,” she says. One activity Tong has fallen in love with is sailing. The sport allows her to enjoy nature and de-stress. She also enjoys the control aspect of sailing – she compares it to managing life’s challenges. “I have learned a lot through sailing, but one of the biggest lessons is that while I can’t change the wind, I can learn to adjust the sails to move forward,” she says. It is a sunny afternoon in November, and Tong weaves through the boats at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC) in the city’s Causeway Bay neighbourhood as a cool breeze blows. It is a perfect day for sailing, she says. Tong, for whom sailing is “such a big part” of life, is also making it a part of life for cancer patients. Since her recovery, Tong has been working with the Cancer Information Charity Foundation. The patient advocacy work brings her to another level, she says. Tong arranges “a lot of different activities for patients and also for their caregivers”. One is the annual Sail For Love. The event, organised by the RHKYC, is a fun day on the waves for stage-four cancer patients. Before her diagnosis, Tong derived joy from material things: “I loved my expensive designer handbags,” she says. Now, her happiness comes from seeing the smiles of patients battling cancer. “Patients who have recovered send me wedding invites and photos of their kids … they want to share the happiness with me, and that is so rewarding.” The message Tong wants to spread most is about life’s unpredictability and about living in the moment. “You never know what path life will take you down, so you should never stop exploring,” she says. “I’m lucky to have had such opportunities, but the most treasured things are the human connections that I have made – they work like magic to keep us going.” Tong’s 40th birthday is approaching, and she plans to do something memorable to celebrate. “My cancer has a high survival rate, about 89 per cent, so I’m very lucky because not everyone gets to reach 40. I never take life for granted.” For details about the Cancer Information Charity Foundation, visit its website here. Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.

Fighting cancer taught this Hong Kong sailing enthusiast to cherish ‘human connections’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Surviving Hodgkin’s lymphoma led Katy Tong to find joy in experiences rather than things. Now she uses sailing to help others ‘move forward’

Surviving Hodgkin’s lymphoma led Katy Tong to find joy in experiences rather than things. Now she uses sailing to help others ‘move forward’