1. In 1987, Zou Chunlan, a girl from an ordinary rural family in Siping City, Jilin Province, ushered in a turning point that changed her life at the age of 13. The PE teacher keenly discovered the weightlifting talent contained in this sturdy and athletic little girl, and enthusiastically recruited her into the school team.
Zou Chunlan cherished this hard-won opportunity, trained hard, and never relaxed. Her diligence soon paid off and she became a "diligent little bee" in the eyes of her coaches. Three years later, Zou Chunlan is already a well-known campus star.
In 1987, she participated in the second National Youth Weightlifting Championships, winning two gold medals in the 44kg snatch and clean and jerk. Standing on the podium and watching the gold medal shine on her chest, Zou Chunlan recalled excitedly: "I was overjoyed to see the gold medal shining around my neck.
From then on, I was determined to become a world champion and bring glory to my country! This passionate pride has become an inexhaustible driving force for her to move forward. In 1988, Zou Chunlan made another great achievement.
At the National Weightlifting Championships, she won three gold medals, one of which set a new world record in the 44kg women's snatch! This amazing achievement has made her the hottest star athlete at home and abroad, and CCTV has specially interviewed and reported on her.
Zou Chunlan's name began to appear frequently in major media, and her image became the target of countless young people. In just 6 years, Zou Chunlan won a total of 9 gold medals and stood at the peak of her career.
She said proudly: "In one breath, I won nine gold medals in training and competition, and that was the six years I was most proud of. Every time she sees her photo appear in the newspaper, Zou Chunlan remembers her mother's proud eyes.
"Mom said that seeing my face printed on the newspaper was the proudest thing in her life." Recalling the glorious moment of that year, Zou Chunlan's eyes were filled with tears, it was her happiest time.
It wasn't until years later that Zou Chunlan was horrified to find out that she couldn't have children. This cruel truth was like a bolt from the blue, and it drove her into the abyss of despair. Recalling the pain at that time, Zou Chunlan said with tears streaming down her face: "I almost had a mental breakdown at one point.
2. When I was an athlete, my coach gave us a drug called 'Hercules' because of the desire to win the gold medal, which caused me to be unable to have children. This discovery plunged Zou Chunlan into deep self-blame and anger.
She began to question whether her choice back then was worth it, and whether those gold medals and honors were worth losing the opportunity to be a mother? The torment and pain in her heart followed her like a shadow, and it became a nightmare that she couldn't get rid of.
Zou Chunlan had tried to ask the coach for an explanation many times, but the suppression she had received over the years made her afraid to speak up. She endured in silence for several years, until 2000, when she finally mustered up the courage to file a collective lawsuit against the coach of the year along with several other victimized teammates.
In court, Zou Chunlan angrily accused: "We were all deceived by him! All of them have ruined their lives with his 'Dianabol'! Now he is responsible for his actions! The lawsuit lasted for nearly two years, and finally in 2002, the verdict was announced: the coach was mainly responsible for the infertility of the athlete by cheating on illegal drugs, and he was required to pay 80,000 yuan in compensation to each victim.
Despite receiving compensation, the wounds in Zou Chunlan's heart cannot be repaired. She said helplessly: "At that time, the coach was indeed very guilty and apologized repeatedly. But money is dead after all, and our bodies are completely unable to make up for it.
This experience made Zou Chunlan deeply realize that health and dignity are more precious than gold medals on the road to success. She is determined to make her story public, hoping to warn more athletes and coaches not to take risks for the sake of momentary glory and pay an irreparable price.
In 1993, Zou Chunlan's sports career ushered in a cruel turning point. At the National Games, she missed a medal due to an old injury. This loss dealt her a heavy blow and eventually led her to make the decision to retire early.
However, life after retirement was not as easy as she imagined. Zou Chunlan, who used to be brilliant, is now surrounded by four walls, and her only savings are 75,000 yuan in disability allowance.
In order to make ends meet, she had to travel from place to place, first to work in the fields and later to sell lamb kebabs in the city. The huge gap in life made it difficult for her to adapt for a while, but Zou Chunlan gritted her teeth and tried to adapt to this free but difficult life.
3. Just as she was gradually finding a new rhythm of life, fate played a joke on her again. A man who called himself a "monk" came to the door and invited her to work as a bath worker in the bathhouse.
At first, Zou Chunlan felt that the job paid well and was not too tiring, so she gladly accepted it. "He said that it doesn't take too much to work as a bather to earn money, and as soon as I heard that it was quite suitable, I should get off.
Who knew that this would be done for several years......" Zou Chunlan recalled, with a little helplessness in her tone. However, the reality is far more difficult than imagined. In the warm, humid bathhouse, filled with the smell of fishy soup, Zou Chunlan has to work nearly 10 hours a day.
Her hands were white and wrinkled from being soaked in water for a long time, and her palms were gradually covered with thick calluses. Although her income was much higher than before, she was physically and mentally exhausted from the heavy workload.
Zou Chunlan said in a loud voice: "The bathhouse is warm and humid, and there is a fishy smell everywhere. I rubbed my customers for nearly 10 hours a day in a small space with steaming water, and my palms gradually became calloused.
Whenever there is a dead of night, Zou Chunlan will think of herself who once stood on the podium, and she can't help but burst into tears. From a national champion to a bathhouse washer, Zou Chunlan's life has experienced a huge gap.
But even in the most difficult moments, she did not give up hope for life. This experience made her stronger and laid the foundation for her later rebirth. The hardships of life did not defeat Zou Chunlan.
In 2002, in a lawsuit with the coach, the court ordered the coach to pay 80,000 yuan in compensation to each victim. Although this money cannot make up for the physical damage, it at least gives Zou Chunlan a glimmer of hope.
She was determined to change the status quo and start her life anew. In 2006, with the help of the Women's Federation and the Sports Bureau, Zou Chunlan finally opened a small laundry in the city. The transition from athlete to businessman was not easy.
But with the perseverance and persistence of athletes, Zou Chunlan quickly mastered the laundry skills. She talked about the washing steps: "When the clothes are old and yellow, I first soak them in a special stain remover, then soak them in the slurry, and then machine wash them when they absorb enough water."
Zou Chunlan's eyes flashed with confidence, as if she had found the concentration she had in the field again. Zou Chunlan's serious attitude towards work and excellent technology quickly won the trust of customers.
She is hands-on and always maintains a serious and dedicated style. Soon, the laundry business spread to ten, ten, hundreds, and developed vigorously. "It was a good few years, there were long queues in the workshop every day, and I started to recruit helpers.
Zou Chunlan recalled, finally with a long-lost smile on her face. However, even though life is getting better, Zou Chunlan still has a wound in her heart that cannot be healed. "Although my life is much more stable, my biggest regret is that I can't have children.
Whenever she sees young parents pushing strollers on the street, her eyes always flash with a hint of envy and melancholy. This regret became the driving force for her to devote herself to public welfare undertakings later.
From an athlete to a bather to a laundry hostess, Zou Chunlan's life has experienced huge ups and downs. But she has never given up the pursuit of a better life.
Fourth, this experience not only allowed her to regain her financial independence, but more importantly, she regained her self-confidence and love for life. Zou Chunlan's story tells us that as long as we don't give up hope, we will always have a chance to start over.
In 2010, Zou Chunlan's life ushered in an unexpected turning point. A young couple died in an accident, entrusting their 8-year-old son to Zou Chunlan. Faced with this sudden responsibility, Zou Chunlan accepted it without hesitation.
She hugged the child tightly and said firmly: "The child's parents had an accident on the construction site and handed over the child to us before they died. I made up my mind that I must raise him to adulthood! The arrival of this child not only filled Zou Chunlan's regret of not being able to have children, but also made her re-experience the warmth of maternal love.
Since then, Zou Chunlan has not only raised her adopted son well, but also extended her love to more people in need. With the laundry business booming, Zou Chunlan has more resources to give back to the society.
She set up a foundation in Jilin to support the children of athletes from disadvantaged families. Zou Chunlan said emotionally: "I don't want anyone to suffer what I suffered back then.
As long as it is an athlete's child, regardless of family background, I will do my best to sponsor it. Her act of kindness was quickly recognized by society. In 2018, Zou Chunlan was awarded the honorary title of "Good Person of China".
The former national player is now a positive force in the local community, and her story has been used to write literature advocating for justice. "I'm glad to be able to do what I can for society.
Zou Chunlan looked at the bright sunshine outside the window with a smile, her eyes were full of calm and peaceful. She continued, "Despite all the hardships in my past life, I never gave up on my hopes and dreams.
From a former victim to a philanthropist today, Zou Chunlan has interpreted the life philosophy of "helping others to help themselves" with her own actions. Her experience has taught us that even when life takes its toll on us, we can still choose to stand up and reach out to others.
Zou Chunlan's story is not only a personal rebirth, but also a legend about love and hope. Today's Zou Chunlan has handed over the laundry business to the apprentice.
Together with her husband, she moved back to her hometown in the countryside and lived a simple rural life. This woman, who once dominated the arena and experienced the ups and downs of life, finally found inner peace in her later years.
Zou Chunlan's daily life has become simple and fulfilling. Pointing to her vegetable garden, she said with a kind and comforting expression: "In addition to doing some handicrafts at home every day, the greatest pleasure is to chat and sing with the sisters in the village."
5. I am only now realizing what true happiness is. Looking back, Zou Chunlan was full of emotion. She smiled and said, "If I had to do it all over again, I would still do my best to pursue my dream."
But this time, I will be a little more ruthless with myself to avoid all kinds of pain and confusion. Her tone was full of the wisdom of life. Although she was still burdened with some irreparable pain, Zou Chunlan's spiritual world was unprecedentedly rich and full, and her heart finally found a source of strength.
Her story, from glory to fall, to getting back on her feet, illustrates the indomitable spirit of an ordinary person.