Against all odds

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DETERMINED to lose weight, event organiser Yong Kah Leong decided to take part in the 10km run category in the Allianz Penang Bridge International Marathon.

Yong, who said it was his first time taking part in the event, crossed the finishing line in two hours and five minutes.

He received a finisher’s medal and a certificate for completing the run.

Yong, in his 30s, said it was also to prove to others that he was capable of achieving such a feat.

“My ankle did hurt after the run. But it would not be my last time joining a marathon,” said Yong, who weighs 150kg.

I did it: Yong (right) celebrating his success in completing the 10km run with his mentor Jack Lim.

He added that he would wake up at 7am every day and hit the gym to work out for up to three hours.

He said he lost 10kg after a month of exercise and a careful diet.

“My advise for other people with weight issues is to ‘never say never’. I will also try to motivate them,” he said, adding that he hoped to lose another 70kg.

Yong was guided by his mentor Jack Lim, a local DJ of My FM, who is also an actor and TV host, under the Proton ‘Persona — Better, Undoubtedly’ campaign aimed to guide selected individuals to achieve their goals and dreams.

In the eight-month campaign, Lim had helped a woman fulfil her dream to be an actress and another woman, with a fear of driving, to regain her confidence in taking control behind the wheel.

“Yong’s challenge to lose weight is the most difficult of the three challenges.

“He is a good example. If he can complete a marathon, others can do it too,” Lim said after the event.

For Cheryl Mohan, 27, who has had cerebral palsy since birth, she received loud cheers, claps and words of encouragement from other participants as she slowly but surely trudged her way to the finish line with the help of a walker.

Cheryl, who works in DiGi’s communications department, however only did 4km instead of the 10km non-competitive fun run.

When asked for her reaction on the crowd’s support for her, she said that it was motivating especially during the final 1km which she considered the toughest.

“But I kept pushing on.

“I trained a bit but not intensively before the marathon. I also did physiotherapy at home,” she said.

She added that she joined the marathon to be part of the company team at the event.