Tien Hongyan, who lives in Luliang County, Qujing City, Yunnan Province, China, once attracted great attention with his photo smiling brightly. However, this little girl does not look like other children because when she was only 4 years old, unfortunately there was a serious traffic incident that forced her to remove her lower body to maintain life.
Because the family was too difficult and could not afford to install a prosthetic leg for the little girl, Hong Yan’s grandfather cut a basketball into his granddaughter so that she could move more easily with the help of her arms. It is also because of this appearance that she is nicknamed “basketball girl” by everyone. In 5 years of amputating his legs, Hong Diem also had to replace up to 8 basketballs. From an innocent, carefree girl, after the accident, Hong Yan was quieter and quieter.
Image
In 2005, the government gave her 100,000 yuan (equivalent to 330 million VND) for treatment at a well-known hospital in Beijing. This opportunity also inadvertently gives her a passion, a good job to change her destiny. In the capital, Hong Diem was exposed to swimming and in 2007, she was officially accepted into the national swimming club.
The first time I went to the pool, got used to the water, Hong Yan probably never forgot. How self-deprecating she was when she saw the healing bodies of those around her, and her body when she removed her familiar basketball, revealing a large scar on her buttocks. Many times, Hong Yan thought about giving up swimming…
Image
However, although she is more disadvantageous than everyone else on the outside, her will and inner strength are stronger than anyone’s. Hong Diem works hard to practice, every day has to undergo a series of heavy exercises with strong intensity. The people around her also give her a lot of positive energy, optimism, difficult confrontation.
Needless to say, with strong will and spirit, she won 1 gold medal, 2 silver medals at the national swimming championships, respectively; 3 gold medals at the Yunnan Provincial Games; 3 Paralympic silver medals. However, she has not won a medal at the Olympic Games.
Image
In 2013, another great joy came to her when doctors at the China Health Research Center installed new prosthetic legs that increased her height to 1.64m. However, for a girl who has gone through so many difficulties, Hong Yan fears that she is not suitable for love.
Currently, the “basketball girl” has become a full-time employee of a center serving the Association of People with Disabilities in her hometown because deep down, she always wants that what she does will help people in similar circumstances will also bravely overcome the situation. The more she matured, the more beautiful Hong Diem became, and above all, her efforts inspired many people.
