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Rex Cheuk
2022 JC Scholar
Rex never expected his last high school summer holiday to end so tragically. In a surfing accident in Thailand in 2019, Rex damaged his spinal nerves which caused permanent paralysis from the waist down. His world was shattered. Thankfully, following a year of treatment, he gained a "second" opportunity to pursue his dream of becoming a journalist, being admitted to the Hong Kong Baptist University School of Communication. However, there were many challenges to overcome. On one occasion, while working on a film project, a flight of stairs stood between Rex's wheelchair and the shooting location. He could only watch as his team finished everything without him. At that moment, he learned the bitter truth of life. It was not only the stairs he had to overcome, but also the self-doubt brought on by his disability.
What used to be an easy routine had now become a huge mission. Following the accident, Rex could only watch longingly on the sidelines of the football pitch, wishing he could join in the game if he had not been injured. But Rex did not wallow in self-pity or what could not be changed. Instead, he fixed his eyes on what he could change. Transforming adversity into positive power, he joined the Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment and helped an enterprise build an inclusive workspace. He is also now an ambassador for the Hong Kong Federation of Handicapped Youth, organising workshops in schools to promote inclusiveness.
Rex became a JC Scholar last year. "It was a great affirmation for me. I made it, I didn't give up seeking learning opportunities and new hobbies," he enthuses. Now working as an intern reporter for a financial information company, he has decided to go to the Netherlands as an exchange student in his last university year. He actively speaks out for the interests of the disabled community and lives his life to the fullest.
Rex hopes that the public will recognise the capabilities of people with disabilities, like his friends who are working for big companies.
Obstacles in life will never disappear, but it is how one lives life that matters. Rex has chosen to face his obstacles and move on, inspired by a line from the movie Still Human: "You can't choose not to sit in a wheelchair, but you can choose how to sit."
Rex's physical disability has not stopped him from participating in different sports.
