Medalist emerges from Games more confident, determined

For Mao Zhongwu, who was paralyzed from the waist down after a fall 16 years ago, sport has opened up a new world.

At the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, the 37-year-old cross-country sit skier won a gold medal in the men's middle distance event and two silver medals in the men's sprint and men's long distance events, respectively. In sit skiing, a chair is attached to a pair of skis so the athlete can compete in a sitting position.

"It was sport that rescued me from the lowest point in my life and changed me physically, mentally and spiritually," Mao said.

Born and raised in Zhuanghe, a county-level city in Dalian, Liaoning province, Mao has been fond of sports since childhood. His accident changed everything.

With paralysis ending his functional independence, Mao was forced to depend on his mother's help to get things done. For a long time, he felt ashamed and didn't want to go out.

In 2017, at his mother's persuasion, he began to learn table tennis. Ten days after starting, he took part in a citywide competition and did well.

Fan Yi, a coach with the sports department at Dalian's Service Center for the Disabled, chose Mao for their wheelchair racing team.

He remembers that at first, Mao was too shy to talk with his teammates, but he gradually became more cheerful and confident as he trained.

Three years ago, Mao switched to cross-country skiing. "As an older athlete, he recovers more slowly, but through sheer willpower, he has persevered," Fan said.

When he decided to be a professional athlete, Mao told himself there was no turning back.

"I have experienced the bitterness of life and the lowest ebb of fate, so I know this is a rare opportunity that I must seize," he said.

Wang Jianzhuang, a teacher at the College of Physical Education and Health at the Dalian University of Technology who refereed the event in which Mao won gold, was deeply impressed by his strong will and spirit.

"I saw him try hard throughout the race. He fought not only with physical strength and technology, but also with willpower," he said.

Wang felt that Mao's story could be inspiring to his students and invited him to give an online lecture on March 19.

"I hope you can all find happiness in sports. I also hope you'll find your own life path at college," Mao told the students, adding that he was happy that talking about his experience was inspiring to others.

As he battled fatigue from overtraining, Mao worried that he might be too old to compete in the Paralympics. "But I never gave up. With my team's support, I inched toward my goals, one by one," he said.

Mao has become more confident since the Games. From the experience he gained, he was able to identify weaknesses, and said that in the future, his training will be more targeted.

"While I'm no longer young, I will continue to train and keep trying to win more gold medals for as long as I can," he said.

zhangxiaomin@chinadaily.com.cn