50-year-old Hong Kong banker takes delight in National Winter Games participation

The Olympic Creed "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part" seemed to have found its proof in the Chinese National Winter Games when Keith Noyes enjoyed his appearance in the event despite finishing the last place.

Noyes, whose full-time job is the Asia-Pacific regional director for the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, represents the Hong Kong SAR in the men's freestyle moguls competition of the National Winter Games.

The 51-year-old Noyes could execute a few easy moves while other younger, well-trained athletes are able to complete rather difficult routines. No doubt he earned the lowest points among the 11 competitors.

Noyes, who started to ski when he was two years old and began moguls training at six, said he wasn't disappointed at all.

"One player fell last time, so I avoided being the last place. But this time around, I'm not so lucky," quipped Noyes.

Noyes was born in Boston, the United States, and went to China for college studies in the 1980s before settling into Hong Kong in 1992. He is so fond of Chinese culture that he gave himself a Chinese name "Luo Lan".

"I am a descendent of Luo Binwang (a famous Chinese poet of Tang Dynasty)," he joked.

Noyes is an avid sports fan as he has been passionately running on Hong Kong's trails for 23 years and directing Asia's longest-standing race series, the King of the Hills, for the past 17.

Due to its sub-tropical climate, Hong Kong has seldom seen snow even in the winter season. So Noyes and his family often fly to Canada to ski on vacation.

"Once I told my kids that I wish I could still ski when I'm 100 years old," said Noyes. Endit