Ms Lee Lai Shan is a world-renowned windsurfing athlete and one of Hong Kong's best athletes who won the gold medal in the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 and the gold medal in the recent Asian Games in Pusan 2002. An enthusiastic and devoted windsurfer, Ms Lee has won numerous awards in international competitions and is better known as the "Windsurfing Queen". Her devotion towards the sport and the perseverance and sportsmanship she demonstrated have inspired the youth in Hong Kong.

　　Born in Cheung Chau, an outlying island of Hong Kong, Ms Lee started windsurfing at the age of 12. She became a professional athlete upon leaving secondary school. She joined the Hong Kong team at the age of 19, and took her first silver medal in the Asian Games in Beijing in 1990. Over the years, Ms Lee has won championships in various international windsurfing competitions, which include the Women's Mistral of the Olympic Games (1996), the Women's Mistral in the Asian Games (1998 and 2002), the Women's Mistral in the World Championships (1993, 1997, and 2001), European Championships (1993 and 1994), the Women's Mistral in the Asian Continental Championships (1993-1996, 1998-2001), the Women's Mistral in the Singapore Open Competition (1991, 1993 and 1994), and the Hong Kong Open Competition (1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1997). Ms Lee won the first-ever Olympic gold medal for Hong Kong, and became the first champion in the Asian Games representing "Hong Kong, China".

　　In 1996, Ms Lee Lai Shan received the Ten Outstanding Young Person's Award. She was awarded the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award in the same year, a first for an Asian athlete being bestowed the honour. In 1997, she was awarded the Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in recognition of her outstanding achievements in international sports.

　　Over the years, Ms Lee has made tremendous contributions by actively helping to promote sports development in Hong Kong. She encouraged the Hong Kong athletes to participate actively in sports and excel, aiming at enhancing and consolidating the position of Hong Kong in the international sports arena. Ms Lee's distinguished achievement in sports and her positive image in community service are in keeping with the University's undertakings in the promotion of and research in sports science and physical education, as well as campaign for public health for the betterment of the community.