How Hong Kong’s speediest teen went from hating school to the fast lane
Alton Kwok may not fit the traditional Hong Kong model of student-athlete, but he does have parents who helped him achieve his goals
He is the fastest teenaged runner in Hong Kong but for Alton Kwok Chun-ting, running on the tartan track was nothing but an escape from things he hated.
The city’s under-20 record holder in the 100 metres, Kwok knew, from the moment he started sprinting as a primary 2 pupil, why he liked running – and it was not about “being fast or beating other people”.
Far from it.
“I always hated school, words and numbers fried my brain, and I always wanted to quit,” said the 17-year-old, who last month broke the age-group record with a 10.37-second run at the Hong Kong Athletics Series 3 at Wan Chai Sports Ground.
“But the one thing that got me going was that I knew I could attend training after school.
“Running has always been my source of comfort – it is what I feel most comfortable doing. Running is kind of my solution to everything.”