The First 200m
George's Story

George is a young man who came to Hong Kong five years ago, fleeing from ethnic and gang violence in his home in East Africa. George’s experience at home, combined with the difficult journey to escape, and the uncertainty of being stuck in limbo in Hong Kong, meant that he needed support to heal emotionally and to overcome trauma, and he was referred to RUN.

George started attending our weekly mixed-gender track training sessions to work on his physical and emotional fitness. While George has always enjoyed soccer and exercising, he discovered a love and aptitude for running at our training sessions. With the encouragement of the RUN team and our volunteer coaches, George developed his running skills, grew his confidence, and a big dream started forming in his head – he wanted to become a professional short-distance runner.

With the support of our community supporters, AVOHK, George was able to receive special approval as a refugee to participate in his very first 200m track race. This was a special moment - it was the first 200m in the longer road towards George's dream and towards refugees being integrated into the local community.

Today, George’s philosophy to “never give up in what you do” continues to carry him on his journey towards healing, freedom, and achievement.