In the Women's Long Distance (Sitting) Competition in Paralympic Cross-Country Skiing on March 6, Yang Hongqiong added another gold to the Chinese delegation. The moment he crossed the finish line, Yang Hongqiong raised his arms and shouted "Long live China." In the interview after the game, Yang Hongqiong explained the reason behind it: "It is the powerful motherland that makes us stand on the world's highest podium! ”
Yang Hongqiong, 32, was born in a small mountain village in Luoping, Yunnan. When he was a child, he injured his spinal cord by falling up the mountain, resulting in paralysis of both lower limbs. After becoming disabled, Yang Hongqiong was in a state of autism for a long time, unwilling to go out to see people, and even relatives at home were reluctant to speak.
Change starts with sports. Since attending secondary school, Yang Hongqiong began to contact sports for the disabled and started a new life. She has won medals several times in disability weightlifting and wheelchair basketball competitions. With curiosity, she "crossed" to cross-country skiing. When it comes to the difference between cross-country skiing and weightlifting, basketball and other sports, Yang Hongqiong laughed and said that weightlifting and basketball are half of strength and skill, while cross-country skiing is "pure physical work".
The women's long distance (sitting) race is 15 kilometers, and it is necessary to skate 5 laps on a 3-kilometer track, which is very physically demanding for athletes. In the game, Yang Hongqiong fought fiercely and has been in a leading state. In the second half of the competition, the players' results were tightly clenched, and the competition suddenly entered a white-hot situation. In the final stage of the competition, Yang Hongqiong's brain was blank, silently counting the number of laps over and over again, and he did not know the intensity of the game.
Taking the lead in crossing the finish line, Yang Hongqiong was excited. She chanted "Long live China" and put on a five-star red flag to celebrate. Speaking of the reasons, Yang Hongqiong said, "It is the powerful motherland that makes us stand on the highest podium in the world! She said that after being exposed to sports, she was cheerful all over, not only walking out of autism, but also infecting the people around her, often making them laugh. Moreover, her willpower is stronger, and she no longer gives up on herself, "No matter what the goal, as long as you identify it, it's over!" ”
Yang Hongqiong is a native of Yunnan, and her long training has given her a Northeastern accent. She said that in training for the Winter Paralympic Games, she often "practiced until she collapsed", but a belief made her persevere. "I often think that there are so many disabled people in China, there are only 96 of us who can participate in the Winter Paralympic Games, how can I give up?"