On May 1, 2018, the 7^th Asian-Pacific Business Schools Desert Challenge (referred to as “Yasha Challenge”), the most difficult one in the history of Yasha Challenge, ushered in the last game day. After three days of challenge in severe weather such as high temperature, low temperature and light rain, ACEM Shaqi Shuai Rexona Team led all the way and won the team championship among 96 participating colleges, followed by Peking University National Development Research and the School of Business, Renmin University of China.

 ACEM is the fourth business school to win the team championship in the history of Yasha Challenge, which is a tribute to the 100^th anniversary of ACEM and the most satisfactory report to one year of hard work!

Not only did the team perform well, but the warriors also won the best individual awards in history: Shi Hongxia and Bai Jing won the women’s individual championship and runner-up; Qiu Weili, Zhong Yanghong and Zhang Daliang took the men’s individual fourth, sixth and seventh place respectively.

Since the first session in 2012, Yasha Challenge has gradually become the most popular event among the top MBA groups in the Asia Pacific region. Yasha Challenge is not just a trip or an individual competition. Participants must carry a heavy load on their back and walk 70km through the desert in three days, with flying sand and hot sun in the sky. It tests not only the physical strength of the participants, but also their willpower and tacit understanding of teamwork. For ACEM, the biggest charm of Yasha Challenge is to “walk with the strong”. In the competition, all the participants made it to the finish line beyond their expectations.

Yasha Challenge is a team game where every member is important and indispensable. Competing for the team’s honor, members of Team A, Qiu Weili, Zhong Yanghong and Zhang Daliang, took turns to lead the way and keep pace with the top three players, setting a benchmark for second-tier members; the only two female players of Team A, Shi Hongxia and Bai Jing, surpassed the second-tier male members from time to time, demonstrating the strength of ACEM and arousing the fighting spirit of the male members. Members of Team B, who participated in Yasha Challenge before, escorted the Team A members attending the challenge for the first time and provided protection for them. Logistic members of Team C took care of all the necessities of the challenge and life needs of the players. Reporters of Team C recorded the images of the players during the challenge.

The victory of ACEM Team in the challenge attributed not only to the outstanding team members, but also to the accumulated experience of ACEM in the challenge. Shi Kai, leading teacher from the MBA Center and the main force in the fourth session of the challenge, volunteered to lead the team from the sixth session. He Haitao, captain of Shaqi Team and the main force in the fifth session, chose to have hard training with his team members after he had the second baby. Wang Peiqing, logistics chief, as well as Chen Jianfeng and Wang Weiyang, members of Team B, were all main players in the sixth session of the challenge. Bai Jing, women’s individual runner-up of Team A, was a reporter in the sixth session. Thanks to the experience and contribution of these old players, ACEM Team won the championship in the seventh session of the challenge.

The three days of experience in Yasha Challenge has been deeply rooted in the heart of the team members. Family members of the players, teachers, students and alumni of ACEM, who have given support to the Yasha Challenge, have jointly created the championship, a gift to the 100^th anniversary of ACEM!

List of members of ACEM’s Shaqi Team:

Team A: Shi Hongxia (female), Bai Jing (female), Qiu Weili, Zhong Yanghong, Zhang Daliang, Wang Jian, Li Rongliang, Ni Zhenhua, Xiao Yunzhe, Yang Yi, Xu Bin, Yang Peng

Team B: Shi Kai (leading teacher), He Haitao (captain), Chen Jianfeng, Wang Lian (female), Wang Xinglong, Cheng Shaofeng, Yu Pinan, Yuan Guoru, Li Yunlong, He Jiyang, Zheng Cheng (female)

Team C: Wang Peiqing (female, deputy captain), Xue Fengjie (captain of Team C), Wang Weiyang, Xi Yanqiong (female), Qu Xiaobei (female), Xie Mingyuan, Xu Jun, Huang Qinghua, reporters: Yu Ning, Ge Meng (female)