Four years ago, Hong Kong cyclist Chloe Leung Wing-yee was crushed by disappointment after the 2021 National Games road race.
“I spent the whole year preparing carefully for this, but in the end, I found that I was completely useless,” the 29-year-old told Young Post.
Leung said she had been training for a hilly race, but the route was switched to a flat one. Even though her teammate Ceci Lee Sze-wing won gold, Leung felt she had hit a “mental low point”. She had already been experiencing some mental health issues during the pandemic. This race made things worse.
Leung recalled thinking: “What have I been doing here all year?”
Last week, in the same race that once nearly broke her, Leung delivered what she called a “perfect race”. She played a key role in helping her teammate Lee win the gold medal at this year’s National Games.
“This time, I felt much more relaxed. I knew exactly what I had to do, and every teammate had a clear role. We just needed to execute. And we did,” Leung said.
“I was so happy when I heard her scream over the radio that she won...We all trusted each other completely.”
She explained how road racing required team members to work together.
“There’s a team behind that win – helping with pacing, shielding from the wind, leading sprints [and] fetching bottles. Everything is teamwork,” she said.
Now in the second half of the Games, Leung hopes to win a medal with Lee at the Madison track cycling event in the Hong Kong Velodrome.
“Racing on a track I know so well gives me a sense of comfort and safety. I’m familiar with everything: the venue, the environment [and] even the little details,” Leung said.
How she works through challenges
After the 2021 National Games, Leung took a break from cycling. It took her about three to four months to recover.
Cyclists are often encouraged not to show their feelings when they are suffering. But Leung believes that athletes do not always need to be tough.
“During races, I can focus and do what I need to do, but after a race, my way of releasing emotion is often through crying,” she said.
Now, when Leung is stressed, she speaks openly with a psychologist.
“In the past, I thought that talking about these things would make me look weak,” Leung said.
“But now, I even talk to my coach about it when I’m lacking confidence or struggling mentally.”
One step at a time
Leung describes herself as a slow but persistent learner.
“Unlike some teammates or others who can figure out race tactics or pacing after just one or two competitions, I need much longer,” she said.
“I have to keep trying, failing and slowly figuring out what suits me best.”
According to Leung, mental strength is what truly defines a cyclist.
“Whenever I feel like I really can’t go on, I tell myself: ‘Just hold on for one more second or one more push – 10 more metres. Keep pedalling a bit more.’ And before I know it, I’ve reached the finish line,” she said.
To Hong Kong students hoping to pursue a career in sports, she encouraged them to go after their dreams.
“If you don’t try, years later you might look back and ask yourself, ‘Why didn’t I do it then?’ Don’t leave yourself with regrets,” she said.
