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iFAST Corp brought its largest ever contingent,
consisting of 76 employees, wealth advisers and
directors to Oxfam Trailwalker Brisbane, as part of its
iWALK Initiative (“iFAST Wealth Advisers Lead Kindness
Initiative”)
What started as a challenge issued by a few extreme
sports veterans in iFAST Corporation Ltd. (“iFAST Corp”)
in 2011 quickly engulfed others who were new to this
type of endurance sports. From sending one team of four
employees in 2011 to tackle Hong Kong’ mountainous
terrain as part of Oxfam Trailwalker, this year’s
contingent from iFAST Corp to Oxfam Trailwalker Brisbane
was its largest ever at a total of 76 walkers. Over the
17-19 June 2016 period, the 76 walkers achieved a
magnificent feat of covering a total of 6,045km in
Brisbane!
This year, iFAST Corp decided to spread the joy and
excitement over endurance sports to raise funds for
charity with the wealth advisers using its
Business-to-Business (B2B) platform. Over 5,500 wealth
advisers from 170 financial advisory companies,
financial institutions and banks use the B2B platform
across iFAST Corp’s regional markets. A total of 76
walkers, including 40 wealth advisers and two directors
from iFAST Corp’s board of directors took the leap of
faith to travel to Brisbane, with many wanting to kill
two birds with one stone: challenge themselves
physically and mentally for an endurance event, and
raise funds for the causes Oxfam Trailwalker supports.
Oxfam Trailwalker Brisbane offers two distances to
participants: 60km and 100km. 11 teams consisting of 44
walkers took on 100km (which has to be completed within
48 hours), while 8 teams with 32 walkers participated in
60km (which has to be completed within 24 hours).
Before the actual walk in Brisbane, the iWALK team of
walkers had a few months to diligently prepare
themselves for the day of reckoning, with those in
Singapore trying to compensate for Singapore’s lack of
steep slopes and tough terrain by doing multiple rounds
of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and MacRitchie
Reservoir Park. For those who had tackled Oxfam
Trailwalkers in the past, the trainings were a good time
for them to share their experience on the dos and don’ts
with the newbies.
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On 17 June for those who walked the 100km (and on 18
June for those who walked the 60km), the walkers came
all prepared at the starting line, with many enjoying
the carnival-like atmosphere and taking photos to update
their friends and donors on social media. The day of the
actual walk took place on a sunny and cool day at Lake
Manchester in Brisbane. While the day started sunny, the
temperature was still a cool 15 degrees, which dropped
all the way to 8-9 degrees by sunset. That was when the
walkers had to dig for their windbreaker, gloves and in
some cases, even heat pads, to keep themselves warm.
For the 100km distance, the walkers had a total of
six checkpoints for rest and that was when the walkers
took the chance to replenish their reserves, with food
topping the list! Instant noodle and rice mixed with
sausages never tasted that good, as a few
colleagues-turned-volunteers cooked up a mini-feast.
Some certainly surprised the walkers on the upside with
the quality of the food served! Many of the iWALK
Initiative walkers were thankful for the support team
members’ unwavering dedication in making their life
easier before and during the walk. “My sincere thanks
goes to our awesome support crew! They took care of us
like family,” revealed Ruben, one of the wealth advisers
who took part in Oxfam Trailwalker Brisbane.
The friendly greetings exchanged among the walkers
from different nationalities, including the ubiquitous
“Good day, mate!” from the Australians, warmed the
walkers’ heart, as they tackled blisters, with the more
serious injuries afflicting the iFAST walkers extending
to twisted ankles and sore knees. The checkpoints were
also a good time for some of the walkers to have a
massage which was thoughtfully provided by the
organisers.
Out of the 76 walkers, 68 completed their walk, while
the other eight walkers had to retire due to injuries.
The average completion time for the 100km distance was
30 hours, with the fastest iWALK team coming from Hong
Kong. The “iWALK: Hong Kong Hikers” team consisted of
four wealth advisers from Convoy Financial Services
Limited, who achieved an amazing feat of completing
100km in just 16 hours 59 minutes. They finished as the
9th team across all categories in Brisbane, and as the
first team among Financial Services teams.
The average completion time for the iWALK teams in
the 60km segment was 19 hours, with the fastest team,
“iWALK: iFAST SG Team” (consisting of iFAST Corp’s Group
Chief Operating Officer, and two directors on iFAST
Corp’s board of directors) finishing in 16 hours 50
minutes. The amount raised as part of the iWALK
Initiative stood at S$51,344 – according to Oxfam
Trailwalker, this amount is sufficient to build three
small community dams in Mozambique, providing access to
the water especially during the dry season. As one of
the wealth advisers, Leon, commented, “It was my pride
and honour to be part of the iWALK 100km team. I could
play a part in contributing back to society and to fight
poverty. Personally, it was a journey of faith, and
resembles life with its ups and downs. But as long as
you have faith, you will reach the end point
eventually.”
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History of
iFAST Corp’s Participation in Sports and Charities
Welcome to
the world of iFAST Corp and its growing fascination with
endurance sports. While the company’s name, iFAST,
suggests a certain passion for sprints, the type that
Usain Bolt excels in, the company’s passion is actually
for longer distances, at 60km or 100km to be
precise.
iFAST Corp’s first participation in an Oxfam
Trailwalker dates back to 2011. In 2011, iFAST took a
dip in the world of endurance sports and fundraising by
sending a team of four walkers in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s
trail was certainly a baptism of fire – out of the four
walkers who participated in Oxfam Trailwalker Hong Kong
in 2011, only one completed the walk. Hong Kong’s Oxfam
trail is known to test Her Majesty’s Army. Hong Kong’s
mountainous terrain inspired the Oxfam organisers to
create a 100km trail sometime in the 1980s. According to
Oxfam Trailwalker, “it was the Queen’s Gurkha Signals
Regiment (QGS) in Hong Kong who first started
Trailwalker more than 30 years ago as a training
exercise to test soldiers’ stamina and teamwork skills.”
The Gurkhas are so-called because they are from the
small Nepalese state of Gurkha.
But that was the start of an affair that has led to
another crack at Oxfam Trailwalker in 2012: with a total
of four teams made up of 16 walkers, 13 finished the
Hong Kong Oxfam Trailwalker within 48 hours. Out of the
16 walkers, two were female walkers who successfully
defied the odds and completed the walk. In August 2013,
24 walkers forming six teams from iFAST Corp’s regional
markets took part in the Oxfam Trailwalker Sydney 2013,
which was held on 23-25 August 2013. At the finishing
point, 19 walkers from iFAST completed the walk,
including four female walkers. The total distance
covered stood at 2,213km for all the iFAST walkers; the
fastest iFAST team completed the walk in 24:52 hours
while the average time taken by all the iFAST teams was
34:23 hours.
Apart from its support for the Oxfam Trailwalker,
iFAST Corp is the title sponsor of the iFAST Metro Race
(“IMR”) in Hong Kong. The IMR is an orienteering race
that is open to iFAST Corp’s employees, business
partners and the public. Combining sports (teams of four
members have to score the highest points within a time
limit of two hours by clearing as many checkpoints as
possible), as well as strategy and financial education
(some checkpoints give bonus points based on
investment-related questions), the IMR was first held in
2013. Among the various orienteering races held in Hong
Kong, the IMR stood out for being the first-ever night
orienteering race held in Hong Kong’s Central Business
District. The IMR supports charity causes by raising
funds and greater awareness for various causes. The 2015
edition of the IMR was organised by Y2Y Orienteering
Development and Centre, and co-organised by Vsports
Limited, to promote corporate social responsibility and
the spirit of contributing to the society, while aiming
to raise funds for charity projects under iFAST Corp’s
selected beneficiary organisation, St. James’
Settlement.
In March 2016, iFAST Corp also co-organised a charity
fundraising event, the “Challenge for Children 2016”
with Students Care Service (“SCS C4C 2016”), a
registered charity and a member of the National Council
of Social Service, in Singapore. The SCS C4C 2016 was
set against the amazing backdrop comprising various i
Light Marina Bay 2016 light art installations and the
Singapore River night scene, where teams of six will
take on challenges at game stations across Marina Bay.
Each station showcased games that highlight difficulties
faced by SCS students, such as learning difficulties,
and will be manned by student leaders and volunteers. In
addition, SCS students assumed the roles of game station
masters, where they are given the opportunity to build
up confidence when interacting with adults, and learn to
carry themselves in a positive manner.
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