Recipient of Sir Edward Youde Memorial Scholarship for Disabled Students in 2006/07
尤德爵士紀念基金殘疾學生獎學金2006/07年得獎者
People with disabilities, apart from facing discrimination by some in the society, struggle to go beyond their own psychological barriers. The recipient of Sir Edward Youde Memorial Scholarship for Disabled Students in 2006/07, Hong Kong wheelchair fencing athlete, Ms. Yu Chui Yee, was not discouraged by her physical limitations, but instead was motivated to become a world-class player with her spirit of never giving up.
Ms. Yu was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 11, and afterwards had undergone multiple chemotherapy and bone replacement surgeries. An accidental bone fracture during an exercise after the replacement of the bone caused her to undergo another operation to consolidate the bone. She had to wash her wounds and have her legs in a cast as the wounds remained unrecovered for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, the condition worsened and she had to resort to an amputation. Becoming a physically disabled person means that she needed to learn how to use the artificial limbs, and how to adapt to the uncomfortable stares from strangers. After the amputation, Ms. Yu has joined the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee and Sports Association for the Physically Disabled. She joined the swimming team at first, but some friends she met there encouraged her to take part in fencing, which started her profession as a wheelchair fencer.
Ms. Yu made her first Hong Kong debut in 2001, and since then she has been aiming to participate in the Paralympic Games. She undertook her bachelor’s and master’s degrees while training as a full-time athlete at the Hong Kong Sports Institute (“HKSI”). She set foot on the highest podium for the first time in 2004, and obtained 7 golds, 3 silvers and 1 bronze in the subsequent Paralympic Games. She has accumulated the greatest number of gold medals in the history of the Hong Kong Paralympic Games. Throughout all the Paralympic Games she had participated in, the most memorable one to Ms. Yu is the 2012 Paralympic Games. A few Paralympics volunteers happened to come to Ms. Yu’s room to clean. To thank the volunteers for their dedication, Ms. Yu gave them some pins of the Hong Kong team and let them touch her medals. The next day, the volunteers wrote Ms. Yu a letter of thanks for sharing the joy of winning medals with them. As an athlete, there is no doubt that winning is exciting, but bringing the joy of sports competition to others is even more precious. To make the occasion even more special, Ms. Yu’s parents physically attended that year’s Paralympic Games. Ms. Yu presented her mother with the victory bouquet after winning the gold medal in the stadium. When her mother was leaving on the subway, a woman in the same car told other passengers that this woman’s daughter had just won a gold medal, winning the applause from all passengers in the car. This memory is of great significance to Ms. Yu’s mother. From worrying about life after amputation more than ten years ago, to winning a gold medal in the Paralympic Games and becoming mother’s pride, it was a difficult yet fulfilling journey for Ms. Yu.
Having a keen interest in Geography, Ms. Yu further her undergraduate study in the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) for her undergraduate degree. After the completion of the degree, she studied for a Master’s degree of Science (Sports science and physical activity) at CUHK, as she was keen to have a holistic understanding of the operation of the entire sports industry and plan for her future career, instead of merely focusing on the competitions. This also paved her way to develop her own fencing academy and actively promote the sport.
Looking forward, Ms. Yu will devote more time to promoting fencing. On one hand, she hoped that the fencing academy can serve as a platform to those who aspire to develop their fencing career, such as recruiting retired athletes to become coaches, and pass on their skills and experiences to the next generation. On the other hand, as fencing is a costly sport, she hoped that underprivileged students could be exposed to fencing, by offering them free courses in collaboration with NGOs and schools. Apart from sporting, Ms. Yu was also appointed as a committee member of the Education Committee of the International Paralympic Committee. Besides, she is also a committee member of some sports committees of the HKSAR and the Elderly Commission, striving to bring different perspectives into the policy-making process and promote equality and equity as a physically disabled, woman, and an athlete.
Ms. Yu received her Sir Edward Youde Memorial Scholarship for disabled students during her Bachelor’s degree. Her efforts were recognised by the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund Council, encouraging disabled students to explore their own interest and develop their potential. The Sir Edward Youde Memorial Scholarship stands out as one of the few scholarships supporting disable students. As one of the beneficiaries, she hopes to give back to the Fund Council and benefit more students.
From being diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 11 to being amputated, Ms. Yu admitted in all honesty that although her body is mutilated, it is the most important to accept oneself. Ms. Yu’s achievement in fencing told us a touching story of how one realises one’s potential despite limitations.
殘疾人士除了要面對社會上某些人的歧視外，更需要逾越自己的心理關口。尤德爵士紀念基金殘疾學生獎學金2006/07年得獎者，香港輪椅劍擊運動員余翠怡女士並沒有因為自身的缺憾而變得消極，反而憑藉永不言敗的精神，成為一名世界級劍擊選手。
余女士於11歲時確診患上骨癌，需要接受多次化療及換骨手術。在換骨後一次運動中意外骨折，導致她再次接受手術去鞏固骨頭。但手術後傷口一直未能復原，需要長期打石膏及洗傷口，最後余女士惟有接受肢體切除手術。成為了一名傷殘人士，她需要學習在日常生活中使用義肢，更是要面對旁人投射的奇怪目光。在截肢後余女士加入了傷殘人士體育協會，初時參加了游泳運動，在過程中認識了一些參與劍撃的朋友，在他們的鼓勵下她開始接觸劍擊，並成為了輪椅劍擊運動員。
余女士在2001年首次代表香港比賽，從那時開始她已經志在參與殘疾人奧運會(“殘運會”)。在運動期間，她一邊修讀學士及碩士課程，一邊在體育學院進行全職運動員的訓練。她在2004年首次踏足最高水平的殿堂，並在往後多屆奧運會中取得7金3銀1銅的佳績，是個人在殘奧會累積金牌數目最多的香港選手。在參與的多屆殘奧會中，她最難忘的是倫敦殘奧會。有一次，碰巧有殘奧會義工到余女士的房間清潔，為答謝義工的付出，余女士把香港隊的別針送給他們，更讓他們接觸自己的獎牌。第二天，義工們寫了一封信，感謝余女士與他們分享獲得獎牌的喜悅。作為運動員，羸得比賽固然興奮，但能夠感染他人，讓他們體會運動的喜悅更為難忘。另一方面，余女士的雙親在當屆殘奧會親自到場觀看比賽，當場親手接過女兒獲得金牌的花束。當母親乘搭地鐵離開時，車廂內一位女士向其他乘客表示這位太太的女兒剛剛獲得金牌，令整個車廂的乘客都致以掌聲。這對余女士的母親意義非凡。從十多年前擔心截肢後的生活，到獲得殘運會金牌，成為母親的驕傲，余女士為此感到十分自豪。
余女士對地理有著濃厚的興趣。為了更方便地出入體育學院進行日常訓練，她決定到中文大學升讀學士課程。完成本科後，她有感她的運動員生涯中只著重了在比賽上，為了更了解整個運動行業的運作，以及為將來的工作發展，她修讀了中文大學的運動科學的碩士課程，為往後的推廣劍擊運動及營運自己創辦的劍擊學院打下根基。
放眼未來，余女士希望把更多時間投入於推廣劍撃運動。一方面，她希望劍撃學院為有志於發展劍撃事業的人提供一個平台，例如讓一些退役運動員成為教練，傳承劍撃的技巧和經驗；另一方面，劍撃運動所費不菲，她亦希望讓一些貧困的學生體驗劍撃運動，跟志願機構和學校合作提供免費的課程。運動以外，余女士獲委任為國際殘疾人奧林匹克委員會的教育委員會的委員，亦在一些政府的體育委員會及安老事務委員會中擔任委員，以一名殘疾人士、一名女性、一名運動員的身份帶來一些不同的觀點，推動政策向平等的方向發展。
余女士在修讀本科學位期間獲得尤德爵士紀念基金殘疾學生獎學金。她認為，基金會對她們的付出和努力予以肯定，能夠鼓勵殘疾學生探索其興趣及發掘其潛能。尤德爵士紀念基金獎學金是香港少數提供予殘疾學生的獎學金，非常獨特。十多年前她是其中一位受惠者，而現在她希望能夠回饋獎學金，使更多的學生受惠。
從11歲患上骨癌，到之後需要截肢，余女士坦言，即使身體殘缺，最重要的還是接受自己。獎牌的背後，除了告訴我們她在劍擊運動中所下的苦功外，更展現出她如何接受自己，發揮潛能。