Earlier today, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games wrapped up in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, on the Chinese mainland. Among the heroes was para athlete Ouyang Jingling, who raced from the closing ceremony straight to the airport, bound for Guiyang in Hunan Province.
As a child, Ouyang lost the use of her left hand, but that did not stop her from claiming over 50 medals on domestic and international tracks. After retiring following the London 2012 Paralympics, she found a new calling as a special education teacher in Hunan.
This year's Games marked her debut in taekwondo. Ouyang stunned fans by finishing fifth in the individual event and helped the Hunan Province team clinch a bronze. But her biggest victory came off the mats, back in her classroom.
'Never give up, and always hold onto hope,' she tells her students, using stories from her competitions to inspire the next generation. For Ouyang, the transition from world-stage athlete to educator is more than a career change – it is a mission to instil resilience in young minds.
Her journey resonates beyond sports: it is a testament to inclusion, the power of adaptive athletics, and the role of educators as changemakers. As para sports gain visibility across G20 nations, stories like Ouyang's remind us that access, mobility, and unwavering determination can redefine boundaries – both on the track and in life.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
