Hong Kong entertainer Alex Fong will swim from Lantau Island to Macau in November to raise funds for Special Olympics Macau, he announced last night at an International Special Olympics charity dinner in Admiralty.
The swim aims to support children with intellectual disabilities in Macau and help them gain equal access to sports opportunities. Fong, who has been training intensively, said the preparation has already taken a visible toll.
“My freckles have increased, and I’ve even developed warts,” he said. “Of course I’m afraid of vomiting mid-swim like last time, because I’m older now. The last time was already seven years ago.”
Open-water unknowns
Fong said the upcoming distance is not longer than his previous swim, but this time he will be navigating open sea, which introduces unpredictable conditions. His wife, Tanya Yip, suffers from seasickness and will not join him at the starting point, he said. Instead, she will wait for him to come ashore at Hac Sa Beach in Macau. As for their daughter, Aika, Fong said he hopes she will be walking by then.
Fatherhood joys and heartbreak
Fong said he never tires of spending time with his daughter, but work sometimes keeps him away for entire days. He misses her deeply and has missed key milestones, though video replays help fill the gaps.
Although Aika cannot speak yet, she understands what others say and responds with nods and head shakes, Fong said. The toddler also comprehends the word “kiss” — but does not always comply.
“Before I left home, I asked her to kiss Daddy, and she shook her head,” Fong recalled. “But when I said ‘play ball,’ she nodded. That really broke my heart.”
He added that his daughter has kissed him before, enjoys pulling his leg hair, and has already mastered the waving gesture for goodbye.
Stage gesture clarified
Fong also addressed online speculation that he raised his middle finger at an audience member during a recent bar performance in mainland China. He said the photo that circulated was pixelated, and what appeared to be a single obscene gesture was actually him raising several fingers.
“It was a bar show, so of course there were people who like me and people who don’t — or people who had a bit too much to drink,” Fong said. “While I was singing, I saw someone in the crowd filming me with a middle finger raised toward me. Since you think it’s fun, I’ll let you know I can see it.”
Fong said he was neither bothered nor angry. He addressed the gesture onstage so other audience members understood his reaction. He also denied rumors that he was responding to someone displaying a photo of his ex-girlfriend, singer-actress Stephy Tang.
The November charity swim is part of Fong’s ongoing support for Special Olympics programs, which promote inclusion and equal sports opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. He said his immediate focus remains training while balancing family life.
