Diocesan Girls' School students achieving 10 As at the HKCEE showing their exam result slips yesterday. China Daily

HONG KONG: A science-stream schoolgirl with hearing impairment was overwhelmed when receiving her impressive exam result slip - with nine distinctions and a B grade.

Despite her physical limitation, Cheri Wong Yee-kiu, 17, from St. Paul's Convent School, earned top grades in nine subjects in the Certificate of Education Examination and grade B in mathematics.

"I don't want to be labeled as a special person needing special care. My efforts paid to studies are just the same as everyone else. Please regard me as a normal person," said Wong.

"We should focus on how we can utilize what we have in hand; what we have lost is not important anymore," she said.

She said she never asks for any special treatment, except a private room and a headphone during listening exams for Chinese, English and Putonghua.

Wong was also selected as one of the outstanding students by the Lion and Globe Educational Trust last year. She aims to become a doctor.

Lee Mang-yuen, 20, scored 16 points on the exam.

He suffers achondroplasia, an improper development of cartilage at the ends of the long bones, resulting in a form of congenital dwarfism. Because of his condition, he tires easily when he writes or walks.

"I was under enormous stress when I prepared for the exam, as I always want to do my best," said the student at the Hong Kong Red Cross John F. Kennedy Centre.

"I was depressed sometimes (during my preparation for the exam), but my teachers and parents cheered me up," he said. Terrence Kwok Chun-yat, from the St. Joseph's College, won applause and a commendable 7 As, facing down his own difficulties.

Right-handed Kwok broke his right arm in an inter-class basketball game around February, he recalled.

Barely able to write, he was forced to be absent from the school mock exam. He felt gloomy and dejected, he said.

Spurred by family, friends and his physician, Kwok picked up his pen again.

"I can never re-energize myself without them," said Kwok.

During the exam, Kwok struggled against the fierce pain to complete his exam, he said.

Asked whether he reckoned he could fly higher with an intact writing hand, he humbled, "It's not absolutely so, I can't put all the blames on the injury."

(HK Edition 08/06/2009 page1)