On May 21, seven Paralympic champions were invited to share their stories with students and faculty at Jiangsu Open University. Nearly 300 people, including officials from the Jiangsu Provincial Disabled Culture and Sports Guidance Center, departmental leaders, and teachers and students from various schools, attended the event.
Table Tennis Dream Held Up by One Leg
Yan Shuo, a 2019 graduate of the Administrative Management program and a two-time gold medalist at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, lost his right leg in a car accident at the age of six. At 11, he started playing table tennis. Due to changes of the rules, he had to switch from playing with his right hand to the left and from sitting in a wheelchair to standing and playing with crutches. Despite numerous difficulties, he responded with sweat: during training, he would ride a bike with one leg back and forth to the venue, and hop around the court on crutches. After 18 years of perseverance, he achieved greatness, saying, “As long as I can swing the paddle, there’s always a chance to turn things around!”
Shot Put Arc on a Wheelchair
Cai Bingchen, who suffers from cerebral palsy, faced numerous challenges on his journey. From being a “happy little fish” in the swimming pool to being turned down by the provincial team, and then switching to shot put, where he broke world records, his story is filled with twists and perseverance. At Paris 2024, he threw 12.77 meters despite strong winds, setting a world record. He said, “There is no genius who succeeds easily, only ordinary people who give everything for their dreams.”
The Wheelchair Fighter
Zhang Bian, paralyzed in her lower limbs from childhood, first picked up table tennis at 17. With her fighting spirit, she later became a five-time Paralympic gold medalist. After winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics, she considered retiring due to a decline in physical abilities. However, after three years of persistence, she won the gold medal again in Paris, demonstrating the belief that “If you persist a little longer, opportunities will come”.
The Lone Warrior Breaking Prejudices with Javelin
Zou Lijuan, disabled in both legs from a young age, used javelin and shot put to create her brilliant life. From her first gold at the Incheon 2014 Asia Para Games to defending her title at Paris 2024, she has won nearly 100 medals and repeatedly broken world records, proving that “a broken body can still create a towering monument”. In daily training, she would repeat the throwing motion thousands of times, with the calluses on hands becoming her medals of honor.
After the sharing of these touching stories, Feng Panfeng, Zhong Saichun, and Kang Su, also Paralympic champions and JSOU alumni, joined the discussion. Students asked them about the hardships of training, how to maintain a strong mindset during competitions, and the self-motivation in the face of setbacks. The champions’ stories deeply inspired everyone present.
At the end of the event, the Paralympic champions gave signed photos, table tennis, and commemorative medals to the students, who enthusiastically took photos with the champions.
