Empowering Ethnic Minority Youth Through Calisthenics; Workshop with TOUCH Sub Centre

A few weeks ago, Desmond and I had the honour of organising a workshop for The NAAC TOUCH – Support Service Centre for Ethnic Minorities. For me, it was my first workshop as part of DailyCali, which was a huge milestone.

I was as nervous as the youth who attended the workshop. Our goal in the class preparation was to make it as fun as possible and give them an engaging introduction to Calisthenics.

I immediately understood their shyness the moment they stepped into DailyCali. I remembered being a kid myself, sometimes eager to join workshops, other times reluctant, or simply motivated by a good incentive. Making them feel comfortable by giving a self-introduction and showing them around the studio helped to make them feel at home. Breaking Shells with Teamwork The first session started with a lucky draw of the youth deciding what they would learn for the day; the planche class was in session. Desmond demonstrated his mastery by executing a planche through the breakdown of the exercise and his patient yet encouraging coaching. As the youth took turns, their willingness to try out the exercise was clear, and their confidence grew with each set.

Teamwork games are a great way to help someone get out of their shell while keeping the atmosphere lighthearted. With the goal in mind, Desmond implemented three Calisthenic basics: neutral grip pull-ups, push-ups and dips into a game of tic-tac-toe. With the laughter and competitiveness between the teams, the whole atmosphere of the room changed. 

As the session came to an end, I guided the youth through a series of leg mobility cool-down exercises. Afterwards, we sat together in a circle, where I asked them a few questions about the session and how they felt about the experience.

Muna, one of the youth participants, said:

“ I saw my peers open up more and even the quieter people started joining in. It felt like sports helped us build real connection and that made belonging feel more genuine.”

It’s no surprise that ethnic minorities in Hong Kong still face many barriers due to language, cultural differences and discrimination. As a Nepali, I take pride in how far the Nepalese community has come. From the Gurkha legacy to citizenship, it began with a regime in the 1940s and the Gurkhas were distinguished by the Chinese community during an era in the territory’s history. My dad used to tell me that my grandfather would send him money while he was in Nepal during his service in Hong Kong. Looking back, it’s remarkable to see the transformation: the first generation of migrants worked tirelessly to support families abroad. All the hard work in navigating a city as a migrant paid off for the second and third generations; now they are attending Hong Kong universities and breaking barriers in professional careers. Navigating the city with much confidence, their parents rarely had.

With Muna’s feedback in perspective, the experience meant a lot. I like to think Desmond and I succeeded in embodying what Dailycali stands for through that workshop.

We provided a safe environment where people come in sharing either a passion or a curiosity for learning, with interactive learning at the core. It’s something that not all youth get to experience enough, and physically demonstrating their ability to learn in front of others takes tremendous courage, especially at that age. That process gives them ownership in building their own self-confidence and sparking self-discovery.

It was inspiring to witness the transformation from when they stepped through the door, being reserved, to the way they left, with all smiles and jokes being exchanged at the very last goodbye.

Lessons in Patient Coaching Not even a month into being an upcoming Callisthenics instructor, working alongside Desmond has been one of the most rewarding parts of stepping into this role. I’ve come to admire not only his deep knowledge of the sport but also his philosophy of patient and encouraging coaching. His work ethic and approach have set a powerful example, reminding me that teaching is not just about demonstrating skills; it’s about inspiring confidence, fostering resilience, and creating an environment where people feel empowered to push beyond their limits.

As I continue my journey as an instructor, I hope to contribute to building inclusive sports spaces and to creating bridges between cultures where people are heard, empowered, and, more importantly, discover themselves. Moreover, I hope people who come to try Calisthenics at DailyCali realise the resilience they build in training can be applied in different parts of your life even if it’s school, work, and relationships. So remember, every time you push past that extra rep, it rewires your brain to realise that you can push past your limits.

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