Results Update

The weather on the morning of race day was hot and sunny, making for some uncomfortable running early on. Gratefully, though not everyone from each of AIA’s three teams finished, no one was permanently injured (as far as we know…) and everyone left the event with a desire to improve on their result next year.

For the record, AIA Team A finished just before 07:00 on November 16, in a time of 19h51, which meant they achieved their goal to finish in less than 20 hours!  AIA Team B finished in an official time of 26h32, relatively close to their target time of 25 hours. Finally, AIA Team C put in a super-human effort to finish in 30h07, just outside of the team’s stretch target of 30 hours.

Special mention has to go the extremely selfless and capable support team; Mide, Ivy, Serena, Ontario, Benny, Jonathan, Cheungster (David), Titus, Quidde, Carol, Pete, Stella, Alan and Cat. The enthusiasm with which all of the support team approached the event humbled each of the AIA runners and genuinely brought everyone together as one team, reinforcing the AIA Trailwalker 2013 Team’s maxim;

REAL TEAM SPIRIT NEVER STOPS

 

Background

The Oxfam Trailwalker (OTW) started as an endurance race for soldiers way back in 1986; however, over the years OTW has become one of the largest fundraising sporting events in Hong Kong. Teams of four have to complete the grueling 100km MacLehose Trail (every individual has to complete the full 100km); with total elevation gain of c14,000ft (halfway up Everest). 

AIA has entered three teams for this years event and hope to raise more than HK$200,000 to support Oxfam's various poverty alleviation and emergency relief projects in Africa and Asia, including Hong Kong and mainland China. We believe that 'Real Life' is about sacrificing something to help others in greater need than yourself.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

Thank you!

Lourens, Sim, KK, Marcus, Dennis, Jin, Richard, Marco, Terry, Abraham, Vuyi and Leo.

 

 

Let us introduce you some of our AIA Trailwalker 100km team members:

 

Lourens “Ultra Man” Roets:

Inspirational leader and hard man of Team AIA 2013. When not spending time with his perfect family or working hard as COO of AIA Vitality, his idea of a holiday is to run 250k across the Gobe desert and be home in time for the weekend…it should come as no surprise that Lourens hails from the mecca of distance running in southern Africa. Doesn’t know the meaning of the word stop which counts for a lot when you’re climbing up Tai Mo Shan 80k into the Oxfam. Two guarantees on race day…1. We’ll make it to the start line; 2. That Lourens will still be smiling when 100k ticks over.

 Sim “Mr Marathon” Preston:

Has run more marathons than you have sipped cups of hot tea. Look on the video footage of any marathon in Asia over the past 5 years and you will spy Sim’s unmistakable blonde locks somewhere near the start line. Successfully juggling a hectic life as Group Chief of Strategy and Operations, his ExCo role and that of a devoted family man, Oxfam Trail Walker is a perfect opportunity to live by the efficiency mantra his Operations role demands – what could be more efficient than running 2.5 marathons in 24 hours!Tough as nails, Sim has been voted the team-member most likely to run the extra 20k home once we cross the finish line.

Dennis “The Pacemaker” Theodosis:

An Engineer by Profession and a Master Program Manager with AIA Vitality, this man is the King of Clockwork. An accomplished runner, devoted husband and father of two from Melbourne, he knows exactly what it takes to control his mind and body like the machines he designed in a former life. Dennis will be the metronome of Team AIA, methodically accumulating the miles as we head West into the New Territory hills. And if you volunteer to join our Team AIA support crew, don’t be worried if you hear ticking as the team approaches – that’s no bomb, just Dennis tapping out the rhythm for his team-mates to follow!

KK - Knattapisit “Bangkok Bullet” Krutkrongchai:

With his origin from Bangkok, KK has a very strong passion in food and photography,  Ask him how many likes he got when he told FB friends that he was making his favourite Thai Dish and you will see the real power of personality.  He is always the first one to ask "What do we eat after we finish running?" and always take photos during or after finishing the run. But make no mistake, his real strengths lie in his character – whether it be his passionate love of family, being one of the firsts to arrive at office every morning for his Business Strategy work at AIA Hong Kong, or running a marathon on a broken leg (yes, he has done it!), this is the guy you want along-side you in a race…just don’t try to pronounce his full name!

Marcus “The White Kenyan” Giles:

A sub-3-hour marathon runner, Marcus is probably the fastest marathon runner in AIA (at least whom we know of). Has a couple of solid Personal Bests under his belt for shorter distances, but Father Time is catching up. The skinny, old legs aren’t what they used to be but he still prides himself on wearing matching outfits and looking every bit the part come race day. Always ready to dispense advice to team-mates whether they are seeking it or not, Marcus will need to call on all his experience and conjure up performances of yester-year to anchor Team AIA’s charge. A Sydney boy, but don’t think that means he’s a lazy Aussie – juggles his futile attempts to stay young with a full family life and energetic contributions in Group Partnership Distribution.

Leo “Rookie” Hui

The personification of his “Rookie” moniker, Leo is not only Team AIA’s youngest member by too many years to count, but he reinforces his fresh young face positioning as a new-comer to trail running, being the most recently married of the OTW crew AND being new in his home-base at Tai Po as well! Known for his love of attractive football, the rest of us are expecting Leo will channel Arsenal and Barcelona FC to be the master team player out there on the trails. The one area that this young dynamo’s Rookie credentials are compromised is in his professional life. 10 year of insurance, no less than 5 of which have been developing products owned by families all over Hong Kong, has us all looking forward to 20 hours of Leo reciting policy wordings from AIA’s Unit Linked and Medical product range…bring it on Rookie!

Richard “The Sandman” Sanderson

…..Enter Sandman. In the immortal words of Metallica’s song of the same name, the line goes…“Exit light, enter night”. That is precisely what will happen about half way across the New Territories during the OTW 100k and it will be then that our very own Sandman comes out to play. A renowned night-owl, The Sandman will only be truly happy when the sun goes down over Tuen Mun and the head-lamp comes out of his back-pack. With his beautiful daughter Jessica just 7 months old, he is well prepared to sleep or hike with one eye opened. It’s a little known fact that he and his wife Caroline made a pilgrimage to the start of the Hong Kong Trail for Jessica’s birth just so he could start his mental preparation for race day. Usually more at home riding his road bike at mach 2 with his hair on fire, this switch to the trails will test The Sandman’s resolve, but like all those who are at their best after dark…he’ll need to be home by Dawn!

Jin-Leon "Guru Jin" Teh

Introducing the appointed and anointed spiritual centre of Team AIA. Another of our new age Gen Y colleagues, Jin is all about running in search of a zen-like quality to his existence and eventually to learn the meaning of life. Ask him why he does it and Jin will talk to you about balance…balancing his love of food with burning calories, balancing his body to the finely tuned instrument it has become and balancing the mental stimulation he gains from his intense Project Management role at AIA Vitality with the physical duress wrought from 100k hiking in the New Territory mountains like Frodo from Lord of The Rings. All this introspection has kept him sharp and permanently healthy, something his team mates are relentlessly reminded of as his heart rate monitor beeps its way maddeningly through hours on the trails. Newly married (first anniversary this month Jin!) but with the aged wisdom of Master Shifu, Jin’s aura will be lighting the way for us all when the mist settles over Ma On Shan during OTW.

Abraham "Indy" Lucas

No other member of Team AIA can claim a nickname that owes its relevance to four separate stimuli. Firstly, like his movie name-sake from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Abe is a man with an innate sense of adventure and a curiosity for finding out just how far his boundaries can be pushed. Add to that his love of Indy music and a body with the finely tuned mechanics of only the best Indy cars and you start to get the picture. Then to top it off, where does Abe hail from?  Where else but Indiana U.S.A.! And don’t let anyone tell you they don’t breed them tough down Indiana way. When offered a place on the 2013 HK Marathon starting line only a week out from race day, Abe jumped at the chance with only one training run under his belt – most of us would call it lunacy, but not Indy…he didn’t just show up, he pulled it off in good time and finished with a smile – making running folklore in the process. Well into his first year in HK with AIA Vitality, Abe decided that OTW was the perfect way to see wild Hong Kong and run his first team event with like-minded crazy colleagues. A new player to OTW, his calm and measured demeanour nonetheless makes him a natural to take on the challenge; and we all expect him to exemplify the heart and soul of Team AIA with courage and fortitude in the face of adversity. Respect Abe….respect!