Going professional is what athletes dream of, but few would dare to do so.
Hong Kong is never an easy starting ground for sportsmen, especially for uncommon sports like Beach Volleyball. Yet, there are always those who love taking challenges.
May and Cat, both in their 20s, are the representatives of the Hong Kong Beach Volleyball.Having been partners for years, the two have represented Hong Kong multiple times and shown satisfying results in terms of an amateur team.
However, just like any other dedicated sportswoman, they were not satisfied with their achievements. “While competing in the oversea tournaments, the teams we encountered are all professional, and we always found ourselves in the lower hand,” Cat said.
A crazy idea then came into the duo’s mind: “Can we beat the pros if we train ourselves as much as the professional teams?”
In March 2016, May and Cat decided to go professional and resigned from their jobs. They started to train intensively and dedicate most of their time to practice as long as there are vacant venues available.
The problem is, the two could not afford to hire a coach with the insufficient funding. They have to get on their own feet by filming practices and competitions themselves, as well as inviting their friend, Pak, to assist their trainings.
Their determination paid off when the duo played their way into the semi-final of the AVC Women’s Beach Tour and finished fourth, the best in Hong Kong Beach Volleyball history.
