Running ultra-long trails, teaching scuba diving and being a former Royal HK Regiment member aren’t enough for Senior Property & Facility Manager Patrick Chan at Kai Shing. He also spent 15 years on three higher degrees to sharpen his professional acumen for work.

Patrick finished the 170km-plus Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in 46 hours. He had to cope with solitude over the course while most other athletes had support from teammates, but he embraced the loneliness: "The only thing I heard was my heartbeat and the whole world seemed to have stopped. As a supervisor at work, solitude is very important as it gives me the environment to think clearly."

Yet Patrick is an even bigger fan of team races like the Trailwalker, which he says inspires true teamwork. "All team members have to aim for the same goal, and at more or less the same speed," said Patrick, adding that people at similar levels have the greatest potential to do well.

In the same spirit, Patrick enjoys stretching his limits in other areas including academia. He completed a law degree, an MBA and a master's in Applied Accounting & Finance over 15 years to enable new achievements at work. Patrick is also a part-time Adjunct Lecturer: "I love exchanging ideas with others as you learn new things reviewing what you already know to teach."