Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1992

graduation. T h is year w h en the trainers called up c r ew memb e rs i n M ay to prepare t h em f o r the race, they f o u nd o n ly a f ew o ld faces. T he ma j o r i ty were r aw recruits w ho had h ad no experience o f r o w i n g, and ma ny had actually signed u p f o r s ummer j o bs after t e rm break. ‘I gave up m y o wn s ummer j ob so that I c o u ld help the coach design a t r a i n i ng p r o g r amme f o r the n ew memb e r s , ' said M r. Shek H o n - y i u, the cox, and the o n ly memb er on the t e am w i th t wo years' r o w i ng and racing experience. A final-year Ma t h ema t i cs ma j o r, M r . Shek h i ms e lf w o u ld be graduating i n 1993. T h e C U HK coach, M r . So Ch u n - c h o i , is a ma r i ne p o l i ce o f f i c er zealously dedicated to the sport of r o w i n g. He t o ok up the c o a c h i ng task f o ur years ago, f u l ly c o n v i n c ed that that was h ow he c o u ld best contribute to the p o p u l a r i z a t i on f the sport i n H o ng K o n g. ' T h i s year we had to start f r om scratch again, and that's the challenge, ' M r . So said. ' M o st o f the c r ew d i d n 't even k n ow h ow to h o ld the oar correctly, let alone ma ke a f i ne r o w i ng stroke or keep their balance,' he continued. T h ey h ad to practise hard and l o ng to grasp the essentials and correct their s h o r t c om i n g s . ' A s s i s t i ng M r . So i n his c o a c h i ng duties was M r. L u k Ch u n g - l e u n g, an M . P h i l, student s t u d y i ng p s y c h o l o g y, w h o was also the c o x that steered the C U HK c r ew to v i c t o ry back i n 1991. M r . Luk believed his r a c i ng experience c o u ld be put t o the best use c o a c h i ng the n ew hands, and his k n ow l e d ge in p s y c h o l o gy w o u ld c ome i n handy d u r i ng the d i f f i c u lt t r a i n i ng sessions, w h en certain crew m e m b e rs m i g ht n e ed e m o t i o n al support. Preparing for Battle Starting f r om June, the c r ew gathered t w i ce d a i ly at six i n the m o r n i ng and after six thirty i n the e v e n i ng M o n d ay t h r o u gh F r i d ay to receive t r a i n i ng i n the basics: h ow they should handle the shell and mo ve it b y w o r k i ng the oar, h ow they should synchronize their strokes and keep balance, h ow they should t i me their thrust and adjust the angle o f the blade i n water... A l l these theyhad to master w i t h in a f ew weeks. Ou t d o or t r a i n i ng sessions were supplemented by i n d o or exercises: r u n n i ng up a nd d o wn the g ymn a s i um, sit-ups, b e n c h - r ows, and w o r k o u ts o n the ergometer . T h e coaches were w e ll aware that perseverance a nd a s t r o ng p h y s i q ue are m a j or ingredients o f success i n any p h y s i c al battle. T he race d r ew near and A u g u st was the cruellest m o n th as far as t r a i n i ng was concerned. E a ch day f or f o ur l o ng hours f r om 10.0 a.m. to 2.0 p.m. the c r ew sweated over their oars under the scorching sun o n the Sh i ng M u n, t r y i ng to adapt themselves to t he actual c omp e t i t i on e n v i r o nme n t . T he catch wo r ds o f t r a i n i ng were n ow elasticity, r h y t hm, concentration and inner f o r t i t u d e . . . . T w i ce i n their t r a i n i ng the c r ew f o u nd t h ems e l v es face t o face w i th the r aw challenge o f n a t u r e. O n t h e ir first workout on the S h i ng M u n, i t rained so hard that v i s i b i l i ty was reduced to zero and the w i nd was r i s i n g. A s t he c r ew p a d d l ed l a b o r i o u s l y t o w a r ds t h e ROW TO VICTORY 20