World judo champion Hao Wang migrated from Northern China to Sydney with his wife in 2015, but life wasn’t all smooth sailing.
“When I first arrived into Australia, everything was tough. I spoke little English and faced difficulties adapting to a culture that is a stark contrast to mine. I knew nobody and nobody knew me. It was so different as back home, I was recognised for my success in Judo. I felt having to start from ground zero.”
Hao said he realised that his previous successful life as a Judo champion wasn’t going to help feed his family in Australia. So armed with a recipe passed down from his wife’s family from Tianjin, he ventured into the food business and started a pancake business.
“For survival sake, the most practical thing to do was to start a food business and I decided to start this food stall to support my family.”
“Jian Bing Guo Zi”, a Chinese pancake delicacy, originates from Tianjin, China. This savoury favourite is one of the most popular street food, often consumed as part of breakfast. This crepe-like snack is made from eggs and mung bean flour. Fried wonton, scallions and sausages are added as fillings, supplemented with a generous layer of hoisin and chilli sauce.
“But my passion has always been Judo, and I still have the dream of competing and even imparting the skill and experience to the next generation of aspiring Judo sportpersons!”
“Thankfully, after a few years of hardwork, I managed to put my dream back on track. Now I have support from Judo Federation Australia. I am overjoyed to be able to pursue my passion again!”
Over 6 years, Hao has amassed numerous medals from his participation in world competitions.
• Bronze, World Cup Judo Team Championship
• Men’s Judo Championships 2010-2012 (Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, Samoa and South Korea)
• Australian Judo Championships 2014
• Australian Melbourne Qualifiers 2015
• New South Wales State Open Champion 2015
But by day, he continues to run his pancake stall in the Taiwan Night Market Eastwood.
Interview by Brenda Chan
Humans of Eastwood 
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