Many in Hong Kong would find the name Cheung Wai-leung familiar and imagine a fencer wearing a shiny uniform and receiving a trophy with sparkling eyes. He can manipulate his wheelchair with marvelous skill and easily win fencing championships. We have long forgotten that he was once a fireman.

"I am a person who can easily accept reality."

Mr Cheung recollects, "On 9 September 1983, the typhoon signal number eight was hoisted for typhoon Helen." There was a serious landslip, and during the rescue operation Mr Cheung was injured when he became entangled with steel carried by the landslip. Eventually, his left leg had to be amputated because of an ulcer in the muscles.  He now has to rely on a prosthesis to walk.

Mr Cheung was referred by a physiotherapist to stay at the former Margaret Trench Medical  Rehabilitation Centre where he came to know Professor Sir Harry Fang Sin-yang. In the beginning, they were mere acquaintances, but in 1996, the year in which Mr Cheung won gold medals in various fencing contests, Professor Fang took the initiative to invite him to participate in the voluntary work for HKSR. Mr Cheung later became the Chairman of the Rehabus service, which was successfully accredited ISO 9001:2000 in 2003 as a result of his advocacy.

Mr. Cheung comments on the meaning of the amputation experience in his life, "It is definitely not a blessing, and if I had a choice, I would rather have my leg instead of any honour. Is there anything more important than health? Still, if my leg had not been amputated, I would have had no contact with the rehabilitation field, and my development may have been totally different. It has not been a disaster. Life should bring different adventures and continuing learning. The most disastrous thing in life is being unwilling to learn and develop oneself."