Alumni Spotlight – Christy Ren, Hong Kong’s First Winter Olympian
Christy is in the center Alumni Spotlight: Hong Kong’s First Winter Olympian – Christy Ren – Class of 2001 This morning I sat down with…
Christy is in the center
Alumni Spotlight: Hong Kong’s First Winter Olympian - Christy Ren - Class of 2001
This morning I sat down with Christy Ren - International Stream ‘01 for a conversation to learn more about her Journey from primary school in our Jardine’s lookout campus to representing Hong Kong as its first Winter Olympian in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
We reminisced about what life was like for a student in the international stream circa 2001, and how FIS made her cross-culturally adaptable at the Olympic Village in Salt Lake. She shared how the PE program at FIS got her away from her comfort zone, and how a particularly inspiring teacher inspired a career path.
Christy has a unique story, oftentimes an underdog with limited resources, her determination and positive mindset is an inspiration.
Here are a few snippets from our conversation:
When did you study at FIS ?
I started studying there in the 90s and graduated in early 2000. I went to primary school at the Jardine's lookout campus and finished my Secondary schooling at Blue Pool Road.
What was it like studying in the International Stream at the French School ?
I don’t know if it is still like this - but when I was there, the international stream was much smaller. My graduating class was a class of 12 girls. It meant the teacher to student ratio was very good. This intimate community gave us a close connection with our teachers and there was also a strong retention of teachers year after year.
There were several teachers that made an impact on me - I really loved my Economics Teacher Mr. Tilbrook because of how well he taught. He made things so easy to understand. His classes were the reason I became interested in Economics and later decided to major in the subject at University. I learned so much from him that when I got to University I felt I already knew most of what was being taught!
How did life at FIS impact you ?
I studied at FIS from Primary 2 all the way to graduation, so FIS has really helped to shape who I am today.
FIS gave me plenty of opportunities to be exposed to French and European culture, from celebrating Mardi Gras, learning the Macarena in Spanish class, playing the role of Lady MacBeth in English class to going on a class trip to Paris during Form 4 (now Ý4"). It prepared me to be culturally adaptable. This would come in handy later for me when I went to study in the US and compete at the Olympics. I felt I could fit in easily with the US Team, the Chinese Team and the European teams because I was used to the concept of cultural relativism, being exposed to so many different cultures at FIS. My French and understanding of French culture also became useful when I worked as a Marketing Executive at a French skincare company.
PE class was particularly memorable for me. At FIS we had the opportunity to try a very wide variety of sports from rockclimbing to rugby to gymnastics to name a few, and were encouraged to participate in them regardless of how naturally or rather, unnaturally talented we were. Wrestling in particular in my case. I think that this was a great experience that has benefited me in life. Trying sports I wasn’t “good” at made me step outside of my comfort zone. It taught me to be more adaptable and gave me opportunities to challenge myself and grow from it.
I consider myself naturally more of an introvert and Drama club at FIS was also an interesting avenue that encouraged me to open up, be more confident speaking in front of an audience and to express my creative side - although I did not pursue it later, I was often in productions, even got the opportunity to create the script for one and I have many fond memories.
What kinds of opportunities are there in Hong Kong for would-be / future Olympians at FIS ?
Winter sports is not the first thing you think of when you think of Hong Kong, but access to ice rinks for FIS students are actually uniquely positioned – LOHAS Rink in particular just about 5 minutes away from TKO campus and Cityplaza is not too far for the HK side.
Some FIS students training with Christy
I would say that for short track speed skating, there is still much opportunity for development because it is currently still a relatively niche sport yet Hong Kong has still obtained good results on the International stage. Did you know? Short track speed skating is Hong Kong’s most represented Winter Olympic sport since my teammate and I obtained Hong Kong’s first Winter Olympic qualification for the 2002 Games. As a result of continuous achievement, short track speed skating is currently a Tier A sport under the Hong Kong Sports Institute. Hence I believe there is good potential for students to represent Hong Kong and gain achievement in this sport. It is one of the reasons why I founded Hong Kong Skating School to offer short track speed skating programs and provide more opportunities for Hong Kong youth to learn. One of our students who joined us with hardly any prior skating background made it into the Hong Kong Feeder Team after only learning with us for less than 2 years. This would not be common for a more developed sport like football per say.
So overall I would say - anything is possible, and there is still a great opportunity for winter sports in Hong Kong.
What advice would you give to FIS Students now ?
I would encourage students to get exposure and involvement in many different areas of interest and to find something that they enjoy and then work towards excellence in that area. For me sports and competitions really helped me, because it taught me what it takes to succeed, and how to cope and seek improvement when things don’t go the way I want. In competition, there is always an opportunity to lose or to win, but what you really gain from it is an understanding of yourself, the ability to learn self-discipline through repeated practice and the determination to keep pushing yourself towards your goals.
So whether it be in sports, music, art or others, I really encourage students to try new things, but once they find something they feel passionate about, try to focus on it, work hard on it with progress in mind and it could lead you to many great adventures, experiences and learnings.
Christy Ren's Bio:
- FIS Alumni (Primary 2 – Upper 6)
- Pioneer of Short Track Speed Skating in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong’s first Winter Olympian representing Hong Kong at the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City in Short Track Speed Skating
- 2007 Asian Short Track Speed Skating Championships Womens 3000m Relay Bronze Medalist
- Former Investment Banker and Brand Marketing Executive
- Founder and Coach at Hong Kong Skating School www.hkskatingschool.com
