From having to tie a basketball to his body to travel, Tien Hong Diem has become a shining name on the green track.
Tien Hong Diem was born in 1996 into a poor family whose parents cultivated mulberry trees to raise silkworms in Luc Luong district, Van Nam province. When she was 4 years old while crossing the street, she was hit by a truck. To save her, the doctors cut off Hong Diem’s entire lower body, from the pelvis downwards.
After leaving the hospital, Hong Diem could not sit down. In an interview with Chinasun newspaper in 2003, she once shared, “When I woke up, my feet were cold. “.
The poor family did not have the money to install prosthetic legs, so his grandfather cut a basketball to fit his nephew. Thanks to her initiative, from a little girl who could not go out, Hong Diem was able to move around thanks to the ball and her hands.
Basketball has since become a special “wheelchair” for Hong Diem. She returned to school, continuing to study happily and positively. At the age of eight, when a neighbor asked her if she was uncomfortable with a ball, she replied, “It’s okay, I don’t need to wear socks and shoes for a long time, even more. must wear pants Since my grandfather put on the ball he wore 6.
In 2005, the image of Hong Diem moving with a basketball was recorded by a newspaper and received special attention from the public. Many donors sent money and materials to help her, enough for her to be treated in a large hospital in Beijing. In 2007, Hong Diem was fitted with prostheses. It was the first time in 7 years that she had walked on her own.
During his treatment in Beijing, Hong Diem met Truong Hong Nga – a disabled swim coach. Realizing that Hong Diem is a very energetic girl, Ms. Truong invited her to join a disabled swimming club without tuition. Hong Diem went to Beijing to train, becoming an athlete at the age of 11.
For the first time in a swimsuit, Hong Diem did not dare to step out of the bathroom as the costume could not cover all the scars on her body. When the coach entered the cheering room, she did not want to train because she was afraid of stigmatizing the eyes. “You had a painful childhood, will this past continue to manifest in the future?” Ms. Truong told Hong Diem. After this declaration, she dared to go out to train.
Every day, Hong Diem swims 10,000 meters in 4 hours, has no legs, so it takes a long time for him to train his waist and abs. She must try and try more than the others.
In 2008, for the first time, Hong Diem was selected for the Yunnan Province swim team. In 2009, she competed in the Disabled Swimming Championship and won a gold medal and 2 silver medals. In 2010, she won gold and 3 silver medals at the China Paralympic Games.
Hong Diem gradually ignited her dream of becoming a swimmer by participating in international tournaments.
In 2011, Hong Diem’s grandfather passed away, which was a big shock that prevented her from achieving high results, so also missed the chance to be selected for the national team. Losing a parent and failing in competition, Hong Diem at one point suffered from depression, she once wrote, “I am Tien Hong Diem and I am afraid of tomorrow.”
Hong Diem intended to quit professional competition and return home to rest. Her family welcomed her with joy and treated her as a heroic honor, which disappointed her on her own. Realizing the anomaly of his daughter, her father said: “Your performance is way beyond what your parents initially expected. If you fail don’t be discouraged, do your best, there is nothing to regret. “.
Hearing his father’s encouragement, Hong Diem returned to Beijing to train for important national tournaments. Asked by the media about her career expectations, Hong Diem simply replied: “Always try.”
In 2015, Hong Diem qualified to compete in the Paralympic Games in Rio. In 2016, she won ninth place at the Olympics. At the Tianjin 2019 Paralympic Games, Hong Diem won a silver medal and a bronze medal.
After returning to the green race with admirable achievements, Hong Diem shared, “There was a time when I saw that heaven was unfair to bring misfortune in my life. But when I grew up, I realized it was the truth our own efforts can correct these injustices. “
