Programme
Society for Community Organisation (SoCO)
We want to give back to society and continually strive to be more compassionate, empathetic and giving to those less fortunate than ourselves. In doing so, we created our SWIM (Swim With Integrity and Meaning) program to help build awareness and donate free swimming classes to the underprivileged. We have been lucky to partner with the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) because we share common values. Formed in 1972, SoCO is an incorporated, non-profit-making and non-governmental community organisation that firmly believes everyone should be entitled to equal rights. We also hope to inspire and pass on these important life values to our members.
Help us make waves!
Rebuild.Unite.Nurture
Free to Run
One of HKSA’s very own head coaches, Janet Wu, has been dedicating her time to an NGO called R.U.N (then, Free to Run) for the past two years. Janet has been actively coaching women refugees in Hong Kong and is passionate about integrating HKSA’s mission and goals alongside her work with R.U.N refugees. HKSA hopes to continue their work with R.U.N by incorporating new swimming programme for teenager refugees in Hong Kong.
One year ago, Janet generously reached out to RUN NGO and has kickstarted a swimming program to teach 30 adult refugee women victims of trauma on a weekly basis. The majority of the refugee women had never been in a pool, and thanks to Janet’s coaching they all acquired basic skills in just a few weeks. anet’s calm, professional and systematic approach makes swimming easy even for adult beginners. She will provide the necessary confidence to the most resistant fish in hewater, and will keep providing attainable goals for all. Janet has boosted our sport programme in a fantastic way, her next goal is to teach our women ocean swimming.
Virginie Goethals
Managing Director RUN
Find out more at www.runhk.org
Project CFA, which is jointly organised by Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation Hong Kong Chapter, Children‘s Heart Foundation and the Swimming School (Hong Kong Swimming Academy) established and founded by Hong Kong former swimmer Mr. Fong and his partners, is officially launched.
“LET’S SWIM WITH FORCE FOR GOOD”
The project aims to provide swimming classes to children with congenital heart disease (CHD) to help them discover a better and brighter life. It is a 2-year partnership programme launched in April 2019, with Mr. Alex Fong served as the Head Coach. After 16 sessions of swimming training, 12 children with CHD who joined the Project have not only overcome their fear of water, but also become confident and passionate about swimming. They have all completed the challenge successfully and achieved a “breakthrough in water”.
“LET’S SWIM WITH FORCE FOR GOOD”
The project aims to provide swimming classes to children with congenital heart disease (CHD) to help them discover a better and brighter life. It is a 2-year partnership programme launched in April 2019, with Mr. Alex Fong served as the Head Coach. After 16 sessions of swimming training, 12 children with CHD who joined the Project have not only overcome their fear of water, but also become confident and passionate about swimming. They have all completed the challenge successfully and achieved a “breakthrough in water”.
“Better Youths, Through Sports.” Through professional swimming training, learning experience programme and advocacy activities, we aim to carry out the mission and value as follows:
- Sports & Social Mobility
- Sports & Gender Equality
- Sports & Social Inclusion
- Sports & Healthy Lifestyle
Rebuild.Unite.Nurture
“Water” has always been a mark of success for Alex until his visit to Gansu Province in China with the charity A Drop of Life in 2007. He witnessed the difficulties of those struggling with water shortage, and also learned about how simple interventions such as building a water cellar could significantly improve the life of an entire community.
An athlete-turned pop star, Alex has leveraged his unique career path and popularity to maximize his positive influence and contribution to society. As a long-time ambassador for A Drop of Life, Alex decided to do a 45-kilometer swim to celebrate and fundraise for the charity’s 20th anniversary in 2019.
To prepare for this daunting challenge, Alex spent nearly 18 months practicing swimming in the open water. During this period, he only accepted jobs that could allow him to keep up with the tight practice schedule. He admitted he was totally unprepared for the harshness of the ocean, especially after having taken off serious swim training for 15 years. He endured a number of obstacles while training, including dehydration, headaches and seasickness. In one practice, he lost his direction and the waves were high. He became extremely uncomfortable that he puked four times in row, which became an entertainment headline the next day. However, knowing all that he was doing was for charity gave him the motivation to press on.
On 5 November 2019, Alex successfully finished the challenge, setting a new world record for the 45km journey, raising over HK$10.6 million (US$1.25 m) for the charity, bringing clean water to over 1 million people in Southeast Asia. This remarkable achievement was especially uplifting to many in Hong Kong as the city has been going through one of its most turbulent periods in recent history.
“I’m happy and proud not because I completed something significant, but because there were many people who joined me in making the impossible possible.” Alex was overjoyed by the amount of support he received throughout this charity challenge; from athletes who helped him during the training period, the support team who took care of him during the journey, all the volunteers and artists at the event, and every donor who supported the cause. He strongly believes that giving back is contagious and can create a ripple effect of generosity in the community.
One year ago, Janet generously reached out to RUN NGO and has kickstarted a swimming program to teach 30 adult refugee women victims of trauma on a weekly basis. The majority of the refugee women had never been in a pool, and thanks to Janet’s coaching they all acquired basic skills in just a few weeks. Janet’s calm, professional and systematic approach makes swimming easy even for adult beginners. She will provide the necessary confidence to the most resistant fish in hewater, and will keep providing attainable goals for all. Janet has boosted our sport programme in a fantastic way, her next goal is to teach our women ocean swimming.
Virginie Goethals
Managing Director RUN
Find out more at www.runhk.org
Society for Community Organisation (SoCO)
We want to give back to society and continually strive to be more compassionate, empathetic and giving to those less fortunate than ourselves. In doing so, we created our SWIM (Swim With Integrity and Meaning) program to help build awareness and donate free swimming classes to the underprivileged. We have been lucky to partner with the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) because we share common values. Formed in 1972, SoCO is an incorporated, non-profit-making and non-governmental community organisation that firmly believes everyone should be entitled to equal rights. We also hope to inspire and pass on these important life values to our members.
Help us make waves!
Rebuild.Unite.Nurture
Free to Run
One of HKSA’s very own head coaches, Janet Wu, has been dedicating her time to an NGO called R.U.N (then, Free to Run) for the past two years. Janet has been actively coaching women refugees in Hong Kong and is passionate about integrating HKSA’s mission and goals alongside her work with R.U.N refugees.
HKSA hopes to continue their work with R.U.N by incorporating new swimming programme for teenager refugees in Hong Kong.
Project CFA, which is jointly organised by Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation Hong Kong Chapter, Children‘s Heart Foundation and the Swimming School (Hong Kong Swimming Academy) established and founded by Hong Kong former swimmer Mr. Fong and his partners, is officially launched.
“LET’S SWIM WITH FORCE FOR GOOD”
The project aims to provide swimming classes to children with congenital heart disease (CHD) to help them discover a better and brighter life. It is a 2-year partnership programme launched in April 2019, with Mr. Alex Fong served as the Head Coach. After 16 sessions of swimming training, 12 children with CHD who joined the Project have not only overcome their fear of water, but also become confident and passionate about swimming. They have all completed the challenge successfully and achieved a “breakthrough in water”.
“Better Youths, Through Sports.” Through professional swimming training, learning experience programme and advocacy activities, we aim to carry out the mission and value as follows:
- Sports & Social Mobility
- Sports & Gender Equality
- Sports & Social Inclusion
- Sports & Healthy Lifestyle
Rebuild.Unite.Nurture
“Water” has always been a mark of success for Alex until his visit to Gansu Province in China with the charity A Drop of Life in 2007. He witnessed the difficulties of those struggling with water shortage, and also learned about how simple interventions such as building a water cellar could significantly improve the life of an entire community.
An athlete-turned pop star, Alex has leveraged his unique career path and popularity to maximize his positive influence and contribution to society. As a long-time ambassador for A Drop of Life, Alex decided to do a 45-kilometer swim to celebrate and fundraise for the charity’s 20th anniversary in 2019.
To prepare for this daunting challenge, Alex spent nearly 18 months practicing swimming in the open water. During this period, he only accepted jobs that could allow him to keep up with the tight practice schedule. He admitted he was totally unprepared for the harshness of the ocean, especially after having taken off serious swim training for 15 years. He endured a number of obstacles while training, including dehydration, headaches and seasickness. In one practice, he lost his direction and the waves were high. He became extremely uncomfortable that he puked four times in row, which became an entertainment headline the next day. However, knowing all that he was doing was for charity gave him the motivation to press on.
On 5 November 2019, Alex successfully finished the challenge, setting a new world record for the 45km journey, raising over HK$10.6 million (US$1.25 m) for the charity, bringing clean water to over 1 million people in Southeast Asia. This remarkable achievement was especially uplifting to many in Hong Kong as the city has been going through one of its most turbulent periods in recent history.
“I’m happy and proud not because I completed something significant, but because there were many people who joined me in making the impossible possible.” Alex was overjoyed by the amount of support he received throughout this charity challenge; from athletes who helped him during the training period, the support team who took care of him during the journey, all the volunteers and artists at the event, and every donor who supported the cause. He strongly believes that giving back is contagious and can create a ripple effect of generosity in the community.