If someone had told me a few years ago that I’d be hiking 100km at one go, I’d have laughed straight in his/her face. I had never even attempted a full marathon on a flat road, not to mention a 100km hike with approximately 4,500m of elevation gain. But as with many things in life, things sometimes take unexpected turns. And on Friday 14 November, I found myself setting out on a journey to hike 100km along Hong Kong’s MacLehose Trail in the annual Oxfam Trailwalker charity hike.

Friday was a perfect day for hiking, with its cloudy and dry weather. My team managed to keep to our schedule and it was wonderful being greeted by my hiking friends at the different checkpoints along the way. The support crew is such an integral part of the Oxfam Trailwalker and such a huge logistical undertaking; I’m forever grateful to these volunteers. Their positive energy and encouragement is such a huge morale boost.

Halfway through the race, my team was joined by a hiking friend and his wife who both acted as our pacers for the rest of the journey. At Checkpoint 8, my team was also joined by another hiking friend and 6 of my colleagues who had turned up to support me and another teammate (who happens to be a colleague too) for the last 20km. We had quite an entourage! I’m so touched and feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends and colleagues in Hong Kong!

Crossing that finish line in 24h 33min and finishing as a team was an incredible feeling. I’m still in shock at the realisation of what I’ve accomplished. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, this has been, more than anything, a journey of self-discovery. Knowing that I am capable of pushing myself to overcome mental and physical challenges the likes of this has given me new insights into my strengths as a person.

Now that Trailwalker is over, the question now is what’s going to be next race? Don’t know yet, but I definitely feel like taking part in some to maintain my fitness!