[VIOLET HILLS TWINS CHALLENGE] Contribute to Charity Fundraiser for Cancer Patients

Doing sports is good for the body and mind, and being able to do good deeds at the same time is even more of a rare opportunity. Runners who are interested in trail running may wish to participate in the "Violet Hills Twin Challenge" which will be held in the middle of this month. In addition to testing their skills, they can also raise funds for cancer patients. It really kills two birds with one stone.

According to 2018 data, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Hong Kong, accounting for more than a quarter of the total number of new cancer cases in women. Breast cancer is not only found in women, data from the same year showed that there were 27 new cases of cancer in men. suffer. The purpose of this " Violet Hills Twin Challenge " is to help breast cancer patients face various threats in the community, provide relief to patients, and encourage physical and mental charities; the competition also aims to raise public awareness of breast cancer. Paying more attention to physical and mental health and reduce the risk of disease.

The race is named "Violet Hills Twins Challenge", because it takes the Violet Hills Mountain and the The Twins Mountain. On the way, runners do not only need to climb Violet Hills Mountain and The Twins Mountain continuously, but also need to climb multiple mountain peaks. The physical requirements of runners are huge, and it is naturally very challenging. The competition will be held from the 17th of this month to the 14th of next month, and the last registration date is February 7th.

This race has different distances and groups (5km individual group, 5km family group, half race 28km individual group and full 50km individual group) for runners to choose from, so that more people can enjoy it. In addition, as long as the participants complete the half-course 28km individual group or the full 50-kilometer individual group, they can obtain iTRA 1 point and iTRA 2 points respectively, preparing for other local or overseas long-distance races in the future. It is worth mentioning that all proceeds from this event will be donated to the Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer Family Registry without deducting the cost.

In addition, Yvonne Lui Trust, one of the organizers of the "Violet Hills Twins Challenge", offered a cash prize of HK$150,000 to encourage the development of local trail running. Details about winning event prizes or other generous gifts, registration fees, and completing event requirements and deadlines can be found on the event's official website.

Challenge Yourself: Why not try something new in the run up to Chinese New Year?

The month of January is often sluggish, whether it is the cold weather that makes people want to hide away or the fact that we are firmly between holidays, holidays that involve heavy eating and a great deal of consumption with friends and family, we often crave a revamp and recharge of our batteries.

You do too? Well, why not consider challenging yourself to a few weeks of wellness? Join us in participating in a Vegan Food Week, a Week of Intermittent Fasting or a Switch Off Social Media Week this January. All of the detox options could truly make a difference to one’s body, mind and the larger environment that surrounds us.

Vegan Food Week 

Eating only vegan food for a week could provide you with a balance of nutrients that a typical diet does not. Vegans often have lower body weights, lower blood pressure, and lower cholesterol eating more fiber, folate, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, and magnesium and less saturated fat. A week on a healthy vegan eating plan will provide a boost for the body and senses, with many doctors suggesting that a vegan diet is beneficial for the heart.

Furthermore, every piece of food we eat makes its own impact on the environment, however, the production of meat takes a huge toll on our planet. Breeding, raising, and slaughtering billions of animals for food every year requires massive amounts of natural resources, like fresh water and land, and generates huge waste and pollution. Simply put, our appetite for meat—and the factory farming system that feeds it—is unsustainable.

A vegan week here or there, or even participating in #MeatlessMondays would help reduce the rapid depletion of Earth’s resources, slow the threat of climate change, and help protect our planet for generations to come. You never know, you may enjoy the benefits so much that you keep going vegan!

Intermittent Fasting Week

Fasting again reduces resources depleted from the earth and it dramatically helps with focus, be it at home or in the office environment. Evidence is accumulating that eating in a 6-hour period and fasting for 18 hours can trigger a metabolic switch from glucose-based to ketone-based energy, with increased stress resistance, increased longevity, and a decreased incidence of diseases, including cancer and obesity! 

There are two main types of fasting: short fasts and long fasts. The typical short fasts are the 16/8h fasting and or the 18/6h fasting in which there is, respectively, an 8-hour or a 6-hour eating window. These are also easier to start with. If you go for the OMAD option of “one meal a day” in which you only eat once a day, you need to carefully ensure your unique meal has the calories and nutrients needed in a healthy, balanced diet.

Please note that fasting of any kind is not recommended for people with eating disorders.

Switch off Social Media Week

A different kind of detox, “logging out” (and logging off) is beneficial to your mental health. In fact, numerous studies have shown a direct correlation between depression and excessive social media use.

Coming away from the screens for a week will help you sleep better (due to the lack of blue light before bedtime) and up your productivity as you gain back time. Time that you can put into doing real world activities.

Not only a freeing experience, coming off social media should bring anxiety levels down due to a reduction in cortisol production, leaving you calmer as well as attentive. Better posture, eye strain reduction and the ability to be more present, picking up on social cues, are other beneficial side-effects of putting the phone and social media aside.

However, you choose to challenge yourself, we are sending wishes of good luck and good health to you all.

VIOLET HILLS TWINS CHALLENGE

First-of-its kind, the Violet Hill Twins Challenge 2022 is an annual virtual trail running event that will provide all 20 cash prizes from the sponsor (the Yvonne Lui Trust) allowing every participant to donate their entire fee registration, and fundraising, to local charity, Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer Family Registry. Open to all levels between 17 January - 14 February 2022, there are 5km, 28km and 50km trail options so register here to support your local community.

Race Period：
2022 / 02/ 01 (06:00 HKT) - 2022 / 02 / 28 (18:00 HKT)
Elite Day：
2022 / 01/ 20 (07:30 HKT - 10:00 HKT)
Enrollment Deadline：
2022 / 02 / 21 (23:59 HKT)
Runner's Pack Pick-up Period：
2022 / 01 / 15 – 2022 / 02 / 27

www.vhtc.com.hk

#REDISCOVERHK

Social media #RediscoverHK Campaign highlights beautiful trails and ecological resources

Conservation International, the Yvonne Lui Trust, world champion SUP athlete Chris Bertish, and Hong Kong’s professional endurance athlete Wong Chun Kiu combined forces to bring awareness to the natural beauty of coastal Hong Kong and its undervalued ecosystem, the mangroves. Check out the videos here:

The superheroes of trees, “mangroves are amongst the most carbon-rich ecosystems on the planet. They remove carbon from the atmosphere, storing it in plants and sediments below, absorbing over ten times more than tropical forests! They are one of the best natural climate solutions we have but, when mangroves are destroyed, this carbon is released contributing to climate change.  These ecosystems are also some of the most biologically diverse on the planet and their strong root systems literally holds Hong Kong’s coastline in place”, said Ocean ambassador Chris Bertish.

Mangroves are a natural protection that Hong Kongers should safeguard but they are being destroyed by development, and degraded by pollution: the tragedy is that this is happening without many realising what’s being lost. #RediscoverHK encourages Hong Kongers to get out there and see these wonderful trees first hand.

Coach Wong and Yvonne took to the trails to highlight the beautiful countryside that surrounds them. Trail running or walking in the great outdoors has provided respite for a great number of Hong Kongers during the pandemic. “Covid has been a humbling experience for all, but it enabled me to search out and find more natural beauty in Hong Kong. Whilst HK is a concrete jungle, it is also surrounded by lush hills, 261 magnificent islands and dramatic rock formations. That is the attraction for me, and particularly the mountains: I love the way that mountains make you realise how tiny your problems are … I was glad to make the most of the beautiful countryside that surrounds me which I hadn’t explored much before”, said Yvonne.

Coach Wong shared that Hong Kong’s nature is an extension of Hong Kongers own home, “it is for Hong Kongers to explore and enjoy”. The ultra-runners shared their favourite coastal lines and trails for Hong Kongers to visit and marvel at what Nature provides: the MacLehose Trail - Stage 2 and Ham Tin Wan (Long Ke Wan) where the trail overlooks Sharp Peak were two such places. To see more beautiful views, check out their Instagram handles:

www.instagram.com/yvonneluitrust

www.instagram.com/wongchunkiu_

ART IS NOT JUST FOR THE ELITE

Having sponsored performances in 2021, the Trust is also working with the HK Ballet’s Accessibility Fund to enable cultural trips to its performances, specifically targeting the underprivileged and those who can neither afford nor access ballet under normal circumstances.

A community initiative, the complimentary tickets sponsored by the Trust for October’s rendition of The Sleeping Beauty will enable 48 children from all walks of life to be inspired by dance and the grace, skill and determination of Hong Kong’s dancers.