Basketball Girl Who Lost Legs at Age 4, Now 28 and Beautiful, Also Became a Civil Servant
Introduction
Wrapped in half of an old basketball and using two wooden handles to continue walking with determination, this is Qian Hongyan, known as the "Basketball Girl" over 20 years ago. A car accident took away her legs, but she still relied on this half basketball to live on tenaciously, going to school, coming home, laughing and playing like any other child. More than twenty years have passed, and some people worried that as she grew older, she might start to care about her own imperfection, or even lose her strength and give up. However, Qian Hongyan did not. She has not only become an Olympic athlete for the glory of the country but also passed the civil service examination to help those with disabilities like herself.
Helping Others Now
In 2017, at the front desk of the Luliang County Disabled Persons' Federation's government service center, Qian Hongyan, sitting in a wheelchair, handled various affairs for the people coming and going. "I have gained a job, a guarantee, and warmth," she said. Although she now handles various businesses skillfully, she still vividly remembers her first day at work: "Working is completely different from my previous swimming training. It was inevitable for me to feel uneasy without any work experience." The first challenge she faced was the "hardware facilities". When she first started working, there were no barrier-free facilities in the government hall, and she had to rely on her father to pick her up and drop her off for work. She also often bothered her colleagues during work hours. This situation was not sustainable, so her colleagues decided to take action. As the government service center for the disabled, they felt it was unacceptable not to have basic facilities. They immediately reported the issue together. Soon after, the government hall underwent a small renovation, with barrier-free passages and redesigned toilet facilities. This not only made things easier for Qian Hongyan but also provided convenience for disabled people who came to do business. The problem of hardware facilities was solved, and the biggest remaining issue was the various business processes. The various documents and complex systems made Qian Hongyan dizzy. However, with the help of her experienced colleagues, this unfamiliarity quickly disappeared. No matter how busy they were, whenever Qian Hongyan had questions, her colleagues would spare time to explain them to her in detail. Qian Hongyan also worked hard on her own, listening attentively when her colleagues answered questions and operated the systems. Since starting work, Qian Hongyan has helped countless people obtain their disability certificates. She often says, "Disability does not equal uselessness. I hope I can help the disabled do something practical and encourage more disabled friends to establish the courage to live." Not only is she involved in the work of the Disabled Persons' Federation, but Qian Hongyan has also not given up on her swimming career. On October 23, 2021, she won a silver medal in the women's 100m breaststroke SB5 event at the Paralympic Games with a time of 1 minute and 51 seconds. Looking back from being the "Basketball Girl" to becoming an Olympic athlete, it has been a challenging journey for more than 20 years...
Becoming an Olympic Athlete
At the age of four, a car accident, amputation, and the inability to run around the village as before may be all that Qian Hongyan, then just a child, could remember. The whole Qian family was terrified, with continuous surgery and critical condition notices for more than ten hours. The parts below the pelvis were all necrotic, and to save her life, amputation was the only option. In the end, the family had to make the difficult decision to amputate both legs to save the young Qian Hongyan's life. However, with limited means, the family could only barely cope with the surgery, let alone afford a set of suitable prostheses for her after discharge. Qian Hongyan could only watch the children outside play through the window. Then her grandfather came up with a "strange move": stuffing cotton into half a basketball to cover the part of the child that had been amputated, and using two wooden handles. After adapting to the new way of moving in just a few days, Qian Hongyan's figure reappeared on the streets. With this "prosthesis" made by her grandfather, Qian Hongyan not only grew up healthily but also walked into school step by step on her own. "At first, I felt very scared and didn't understand why everyone surrounded me in a circle. At that time, the school did not have barrier-free facilities, and the most profound memory I have is when I wanted to go to the toilet. My teacher or classmates would carry me there. My classmates were about the same age as me and didn't have much strength. Their legs would shake halfway, and I felt very uncomfortable mentally," she recalled. It was not until 2004 that a public security traffic safety education promotional film and active media coverage made this "Basketball Girl" known nationwide. The goodwill from all directions supported this strong girl to continue moving forward. In 2007, with funding, Qian Hongyan went to a rehabilitation center hospital in Beijing. Accompanied by the basketball for many years, Qian Hongyan finally stood up again with the help of prostheses and was able to see the world outside. In 2007, in Kunming, at the seventh National Paralympic Games, Qian Hongyan was in the stands of the spectator stand, watching one by one, people with similar or different experiences shine on the field, and Qian Hongyan also wanted to give it a try. Coincidentally, Zhang Honghe, known as the "godfather of Chinese disabled swimming coaches," also noticed this child and brought her to join the Yunnan Provincial Disabled Swimming Team, with Zhang Honghe personally guiding her.
Continuous Achievements
At first, it was bound to be unsatisfactory. "Losing your legs is like a ship without a rudder, lacking a sense of direction in the water, and prone to lateral movement, affecting speed," Zhang Honghe, the coach, said. Therefore, Coach Zhang Honghe had to ask Qian Hongyan to put in more effort, such as dumbbell arm strength training and at least four hours of sit-ups every day. Sometimes the training was tiring, and Qian Hongyan would cry in the water: "Because when you cry in the water, only you know, others won't know." Gradually, Qian Hongyan progressed from only being able to float in the pool to swimming faster and faster. Coach Zhang Honghe was quite satisfied with the result: "There is no other way but to make her swim faster and better than others, and confidence will gradually return." Unremitting efforts have finally paid off. In 2009, at the ninth Yunnan Provincial Paralympic Games, Qian Hongyan won three gold medals alone. Starting from this competition, Qian Hongyan has won one gold, thirteen silver, and six bronze medals in national competitions. She also won one gold and one silver medal in the Asian Youth Games and even three gold medals in the American Open. In 2016, she represented China to participate in the Paralympics in Brazil and although she only finished ninth in the women's 100m breaststroke, it was already a remarkable achievement to "compete for the country." However, unlike her usual cheerful demeanor in front of the camera, Qian Hongyan is actually quite introverted in private. "Everyone has something they don't want others to know. When facing the camera, I don't want to destroy the image in everyone's mind," she said. This former "Basketball Girl" now lives a wonderful life with her strength.
