Kimberley first fell in love with the sport of fencing when she was only 10 years old. She kept training and competing throughout her school years, and went on to win bronze in a team foil at the 2014 Asian Games in Korea, before being recognized as one of HK's Top 10 Outstanding Youths in 2015. She is now a full-time professional fencer at the HK Sports Institute with her sights set on the Olympics.

And yet, as all athletes well know, a career in sports has a limited lifespan. "I studied biochemistry and cell biology at HKUST so I can work in science when my fencing career comes to an end," Kimberley explains. The scholarships she received at HKUST were instrumental to both her academic and sporting success. "Instead of worrying about the cost of my studies and my fencing equipment, I was able to be 100% focused on learning," she says. "You have to be focused to do well at anything."

"I had to travel to competitions quite often, but my professors and classmates were willing to spend extra time helping me catch up on what I'd missed. I couldn't have done it without them. We can achieve so much more as a community than as individuals."

This invaluable support continued long after she graduated. "I'm fencing full time now and training up to 15 hours a week," Kimberley says. "And I stay involved with the alumni community because they are like family to me. Having friends outside of fencing is important, you know, for balance." Many of her former classmates come to support her when she competes in HK and abroad. "It feels great to have them cheering me on," she laughs.

In future, she'd like to coach young fencers and grow the HKUST fencing team, living by her motto: "Never give up: impossible is nothing, timing is everything."

Know more about Kimberley in Alumni Newsletter Summer 2019