
Category Archives: Swim Challenges
Keep your brain vibrant in 2021

Most folks put out new year review and new year resolution post. I dodged from it this time. Try to keep my brain away from the tradition set by the society.
It doesn’t make a difference when the calendar is switched from 2020 to 2021. Time is going forward and the world is still spinning. It doesn’t stop even one second when we celebrated the new year. A new year won’t make you better or worse. Keep up with all the belief we have. Always question what the media and society feed to your brain.
Kept up my own tradition to swim 750m butterfly in a freestyle event while others swam crawling style. Society wants to put you in a game to compete for “medals” and results. Often, we forget about why we even started a hobby. We do it for fun.
First time interviewed by Ceska Televize. I tried my best to express my idea above although only got a minute to talk.
#Hongkongiceman #swimming #openwaterswimming #ows #hongkong #Czechrepublic #czechia #prague #winterswimming #coldswimming #vltava #butterfly #newyear #newyear2021 #ceskatelevize
How the English Channel looks like right now?
[English Channel ->
] This is how it looks like in Channel on 25.08.2020. Watch till the end.
Feat. Rostislav Vitek. It s a life lesson. Be patient. Don’t forget to have fun. If it aint no fun, I dont swim.
Support my challenge here: http://bit.ly/English-Channel-HK-en
#Hongkongiceman#borntoswim#englishchannel#englishchannelswim#lamanche#swimming#openwaterswimming#longdistanceswimming#ows#marathonswimming#Dover
English Channel Training
[Road to English Channel] The English Channel crossing swim is now confirmed to be on 26 August – 1 September 2020. 🦾 Luckily, water/air temperature will be a bit warmer and with 2 hour more sunlight time. Last week, I finished a 6-day swimming training camp by Rostislav Vitek and plus 2-day weekend races of 3km, 5km and 10km under strong wind and wave in Lipno, Czech Republic. Finalizing the physical condition.
Support my English Channel crossing here: http://bit.ly/English-Channel-HK-en
#Hongkongiceman#borntoswim#englishchannel#englishchannelswim#lamanche#swimming#openwaterswimming#longdistanceswimming#ows#marathonswimming#lipno @_borntoswim_
Let water guide you
This quarry in Blansko is the place where I had my first authentic ice swim 2.5 years ago, on 21-January-2018. I have rated here as my most favourite swimming place in Czech Republic. 2 weeks ago, I started my new job right next to this quarry. I swim here nearly everyday after work. I feel connected with the nature here such as the ducks, trees and fishes. I am part of it. Water seems to be a god to guide me where to go. Water tells me what to do in life. I believe in water. Thank you water.
Support my swim here: http://bit.ly/English-Channel-HK-en
#Hongkongiceman #borntoswim #englishchannel #englishchannelswim #swimming #life #openwaterswimming #longdistanceswimming #ows #marathonswimming #blansko #lom @_borntoswim_
Do you just swim? Or are you committed to SWIM?
Photo of Brno Reservoir, from Wikimedia This is where I swim with cold water.
Support me here: http://bit.ly/English-Channel-HK-en
1. 把訓練變得有彈性和個人化。如水般。適應現有的狀況。泳池關閉了兩個半月。我把布以諾淡水湖當作大泳池。好處是水溫比泳池凍。水溫在兩個月前是攝氏12度,現在是19度。英倫海峽水溫估計是16度。淡水湖訓練可以模擬英倫海峽。
2. 兩個月訓練已經完成。還有四個月。主要訓練是去學懂聆聽自己身體。恢復是訓練重要一環。我嘗試減少受傷機會。慢慢就準備兩個月後更大量的訓練。
3. 現在訓練是每星期六節,包括五節游泳和一節Total Resistance Exercises (TRX)全面阻力訓練。每週末都有一節長距離游泳,例如上星期六在13度水溫游四小時。當然我係唔著膠衣。平日游泳訓練大約在凍水一小時。
4. 菲比斯 – 將會有障礙。將會有懐疑者。將會有錯誤。但靠勤力,那是沒有極限。
1. Make the training flexible and personal. Be water. Adapt to the situation we have. In the previous 2.5 months, swimming pools were not opened. I treated Brno Reservoir as a big swimming pool. The advantage is that water is colder than swimming pools. I started from 12 degree Celsius water until now 19 degree Celsius water over 2 months. It simulates the condition of English Channel a bit although the Reservoir is with fresh water instead of salt water.
2. Two months training has passed. Four more months to go before the Channel challenge. General strategy is to listen to my body. Recovery is an important part of training. I should avoid injury. After 2 months, the training will go to the peak with higher swimming amount.
3. Current training scheme is 6 days per week including 5 sessions of swimming and 1 session of TRX core training. There is always one hard training at weekend such as 4 hours in 13-degree water. Three trainings on weekdays are easy such as 1 hour in 17 degree water. Of course, all training are without wetsuit.
4. “There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work… there are no limits.” – Michael Phelps
Photo of the whole Brno Reservoir comes from Wikimedia.
SWIMSWAM Feature
Can’t believe to be on SWIMSWAM
https://swimswam.com/chun-kong-mak-becomes-first-man-to-swim-a-butterfly-ice-mile/
Feel thankful always. My coach, IISA Austria, supporting crew, medicals, friends, photographer, training partners, my love, my family. Gratitude is a power of life.
#Hongkongiceman #icemileswimbutterflychallenge #icefly #icebutterfly #iceflychallenge #iceswimming #butterfly #swimming #borntoswim #borntoswimint #gratitude #swimswam
Ice training never stops!
👍🏿❄️Training must go on. Strengthen your immunity today!
#Hongkongiceman #quarantine #covid_19 #socialdistancing #immunity #icebath #englishchannelswim #swimming #life #attitude #openwaterswimming #longdistanceswimming #ows #marathonswimming
Be the first Hongkonger to swim across English Channel
Crowdfunding link: http://bit.ly/English-Channel-HK-en
I (MAK Chun Kong) have a dream which belongs to Hongkongers – be the first made-in-Hong-Kong swimmer in the history to swim across English Channel, as a pioneer in Hong Kong extreme swimming. To make this dream come true, I have been receiving three years of ice and ultramarathon swimming training with international standard. My physical condition is ready to swim across English Channel solo. In this challenge, the actual swimming distance will be over 40km. Water temperature is estimated to be 15-18°C. Through this challenge, I want to let the world know the “never give up” spirit from Hong Kong.
眾籌連結: http://bit.ly/English-Channel
以往三年,接受了冰水游泳與超長途游泳訓練,我的體能已經準備好去個人以游泳方式横渡英倫海峽。估計實際游泳距離是40公里以上,水温攝氏15-18度,更有成千上萬水母恭候。當然,英倫海峽游泳協會不允許泳手穿著膠衣和保暖泳衣。
我不是一個很有速度的泳手,但希望成為史上第一名港産泳手横渡英倫海峽,並成為香港極根游泳的先峰。希望世界可以知道香港人永不言敗和遇强愈强精神。
Music credit: bensound.com
From crawling stroke to life attitude

Coach man told me all the time “EASY BUT FAST”. My swimming Sifu 🙏🏿@Rostislav Vitek. Thanks for inspiration. He means I should relax my arms in every stroke but have a faster frequency. Your mind and muscles take it easy but still moving fast in frequency. Ultimately, the speed is still not bad and save a lot of energy.
It happens often in life. We push too hard and waste so much energy. Still, things don’t move forward because it takes time and patience to train up a skill and ability. It takes everyday effort, for days, weeks, months and years. Bruce Lee: “We learn the way to win but never to accept the way to lose.” You take it easy and try your best. If things don’t happen still, improve and try again next time. When it doesn’t happen right now in many life aspects such as relationship, friendship, career, just chillex. Pay small effort everyday to make it big. You take it easy everyday to make progress and ultimately the result can be extraordinarily huge.🤘🏿💪🏽
#Hongkongiceman #crawling #swimming #borntoswim #borntoswimint #life #attitude #openwaterswimming #longdistanceswimming #ows #marathonswimming #borntoswim #borntoswimint