INSIGHT Holliday in Hell – Try a Perilous Passage to Macau a Mother and Now Aged 35, Tie Yana's No

4 Sunday, May 18, 2014 INSIGHT SWIMMING Holliday in hell – try a perilous passage to Macau Long-distance ace sets his sights on record for crossing from Hong Kong to gambling hot spot ................................................ Simon is used to minor stings Rachel Jacqueline from his local training, but if he gets bad stings, that will end his When Simon Holliday attempts swim.” to swim to Macau from Hong Finally, there’s Holliday him- Kong next weekend, he won’t be self. “We don’t want to push him thinking of the 30-odd kilometres beyond a reasonable point,” said of endless strokes through some Highfield. of the busiest waters in the world, Getting to launch the swim the major shipping lanes he has has been almost more challeng- to cross, the tidal flows and cur- ing than the swim itself, as Holli- rents that threaten to push him day will journey through the off course, or the inescapable jel- waters of Hong Kong, Macau and lyfish stings. the mainland. Permits have been All things going well, he hopes obtained from all three govern- to think of absolutely nothing. ments, and detailed plans have “There are those moments – been submitted to the marine split seconds – when you’re out police, customs, immigration there and you think of nothing, and sports and swimming bu- and it’s really wonderful. If I’m reaux in both Hong Kong and thinking nothing, it will be bliss.” Macau. It’s an unusual approach, but “Last Friday alone I got 15 calls one he hopes gets him through from different bureaux request- the 35km to Hac Sa Beach in Ma- ing additional information. It’s cau as he sets off from Peaked Hill been a test of my patience and (Kai Yet Kok) on the west of Lan- perseverance,” says Pu, 34, an tau Island early on Saturday. entrepreneur, who will paddle He’s aiming to break the 2005 alongside Holliday and has been record set by Beijing marathon responsible for the administra- swimmer Zhang Jian by complet- tion behind the swim. ing the distance in under 10.5 “It’s a real team effort,” says hours. To achieve the feat, he will Holliday. “My team are responsi- have to swim around 3.3km/h. ble for everything; all I have to do It’s achievable, but “unlikely”, is swim.” he admits, unless the notoriously The attraction of open-water choppy and busy waters of the swimming for Holliday – a sport Pearl River Delta “are a mill pond he claims is “honestly really, on the day”. really dull” – is about finding his The ever-humble Hong limits. “People constantly put Kong-based Brit has other, more barriers around themselves. important, objectives. Humans have limitations, but we Holliday and team – including don’t often know where they lie. skipper Robert “Arni” Highfield, a “I’m fascinated with the breaking point: how many times in your life have you given some- thing everything? This is why long-distance swimming is ap- pealing – you get very close.” Humans have Does he struggle? “Some- limitations, but times,” he laughs. “After a while, you accept the circumstances we don’t often that you’re in and you begin to know where enjoy it. You feel a real sense of achievement when you com- they lie plete these things.” Holliday will try to get through SIMON HOLLIDAY the 10-odd hours in the water, with only swimsuit and goggles retired water police officer, and for protection, by following the top ocean paddler Shu Pu – are old swimmer’s maxim: “swim to undertaking the “Clean Cross” your next feed”. venture to raise HK$200,000 for “I’ll be fed every hour on the Ocean Recovery Alliance (ORA) hour, and when it gets tough to- and awareness of plastics in the wards the end I may increase that ocean. “As of last year, Hong to every three-quarters of an Kong was still dumping 450,000 hour.” tonnes of raw sewage into the He’ll be sustained by a carbo- harbour every day,” says Doug hydrate drink – a personal con- Woodring of ORA. “The other coction mixed with Ribena. “And issue for our water is trash, and then I’ll have some chocolate and sadly there are still a lot of people jelly babies. who use the water or beaches but “Once I’ve done seven hours, leave their trash behind, or over- I’ll just think, I have another five board. Simon might sadly get to to go. And I know I’ve done that see and feel some of this.” before. It’s all about convincing Funds raised will support the your mind you can do it.” “Grate Art” project, bringing Besides, if you consider his eight local and Chinese artists to original plan was to swim 160km create plaques to remind people to Taiwan through shark-infest- not to dump into drains on the ed waters, a short dash to Macau street which lead directly into the doesn’t seem inconceivable. ocean. “At the end of the day, it’s Although Holliday, 35, the se- about determination. I don’t nior learning and development think I’ve been blessed with nat- manager at law firm Norton Rose ural ability, but I do have an abil- Fulbright, is an experienced ity to work at things. And that’s open-water swimmer, having what I love about swimming.” swum the English Channel in His team unanimously agree 2011in 15 hours and two minutes, Holliday has what it takes to com- this swim “is definitely going to plete the journey. be a stretch,” he admits. “Simon has a very pure and The biggest concern is navi- earthy approach to swimming … gating the dangerous shipping it’s not about speed or compet- Lee Kaliz Illustration: lanes. ing, or fame, he simply goes in, “There are two marked ship- blends in, carries on and ping lanes to cross: The first he through,” says Pu, who recalls the will cross shortly after leaving experience of paddle-supporting TABLE TENNIS Lantau, then, a few hours into the Holliday in the 15km Cold Half swim, he has to cross the route swim in February – a feat he used by the high-speed Macau achieved in five hours, 44 min- ferries,” says skipper Highfield. utes, with no wetsuit. Other concerns include jelly- “For this kind of distance, it’s A mother and now aged 35, Tie Yana’s no spr fish and floating refuse, like tree almost all in your head,” says Pu. branches. “Jellyfish are common. Or not, if Holliday has his way. Veteran paddler looks forward to years more competition at the top level eight, beaten by Wang Nan of China. In the team event, Hong – and sees a bright future for home-grown Hong Kong talent Kong reached the semi-finals but ................................................ were then knocked out by China. ing a number of other mothers women’s team who clinched In the bronze medal play-off, Chan Kin-wa still competing at the highest bronze in Tokyo after a narrow Hong Kong were beaten by Japan [email protected] level, including Li Jie of the Neth- defeat by Japan in the semi- in the second round. erlands, Liu Jia and Li Qiangbing, finals. The medal was Hong “Some may say I am a bit old “When I saw Ni Xialian play in who both represent Austria. Kong’s fifth in the last six team for the next Olympic Games, and Tokyo, I knew there was still a Spanish player Shen Yanfei, world championships and Tie to be honest, I know I have to be long time for me to go before I re- one of the hottest paddlers on the has been instrumental every at my very best if I want to chal- tire,” joked veteran Tie Yana, pro tour circuit in 2013, missed time, including in winning the lenge for a medal in Rio,” said Tie. Hong Kong’s most successful the world event in Tokyo because two silver medals at Doha (2004) “But as long as you participate in table tennis player over the past she is due to give birth soon to her and Bremen (2006) and the three the Games, there is a medal Luxembourg’s Ni Xialian is decade. “There are still things I second baby. bronze medals. chance.” Tie, who reached world still competitive at 52. want to achieve and it’s a bit early Tie was a member of the “I have won medals for Hong number three in 2006, said she to call it a day, isn’t it?” Kong at the Asian Games, East would continue playing as long A former China national team Asian Games, world champion- as she enjoyed the game. member, Ni is still playing for ships, World Cup, Asia Cup and “I won’t look at my age and Luxembourg at 52 and competed many pro tour events, but I am then say I will retire in two years with distinction at the world still hungry for success at the or three years,” she said. “I will team championships in Japan highest level, especially as the continue to play as long as I enjoy The future of last month, claiming victories most important silverware is the game, pretty much as I am. I HK table over many of her younger rivals, 3 missing,” she said, referring to an like the atmosphere of major including both rubbers against Olympic medal. games ever since I came to Hong tennis will be Russia in the group stages. Tie Yana’s top world ranking, At the 2004 Athens Games, Kong in 2002, especially when Tie turned 35 this week and achieved in 2006 she was beaten by Kim Kyung-ah standing on the medal podium.

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