Make the impossible possible

TPO - Instead of suffering from tragedy, step out and fight adversity. Regardless of disability, you can still do things that others cannot, with your own will and determination. That is what Cao Ngoc Hung did to rise up on his disabled legs.

The Olympics is where heroes are made, like Hoang Xuan Vinh. The Paralympics are where heroes are born. Just by going there, disabled athletes have shown everyone that they are truly heroes by overcoming their fate, fighting for recognition, and then winning to prove that nothing is impossible.

And we have a “superman” here - disabled athlete Cao Ngoc Hung.

On a summer evening in 2016 at the Estedio Olimpico, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Ngoc Hung leaned over his wheelchair and threw the javelin into the air with all his might. The javelin flew away, carrying with it his hopes and prayers…

Hung knew that winning a medal at the 2016 Paralympics was extremely difficult, even impossible. According to previous statistics, the top two athletes were far ahead of the rest. There were about 7 people competing for the Bronze medal, and Hung was 6th among them, with only a few inches of difference.

“When many opponents threw over 42m while my career best was 41.71m, it was obvious that I had no chance of winning a medal. To surpass them, I had to throw 43m, and I couldn’t do it,” Cao Ngoc Hung recalled.

In that moment, the images of his parents, wife and children, along with the years of hardship, effort and sacrifice, all appeared in his mind. He was fighting not only for himself, but also for his family. Therefore, he had to win at all costs.

After flying far enough, the spear turned downward and stuck into the grass. Hung reached 43.91m to the amazement of everyone there.

It was amazing. He had not only beaten his own personal best, but had also beaten his competitors. But the competition was not over. Hung had to wait a little longer, after the other two athletes had thrown, to find out if he had won the bronze medal.

Then the long-awaited moment came. Cao Ngoc Hung became the first athlete in the history of Vietnamese disabled athletics to win a medal at the Paralympic Games. “Oh my God, I was so nervous at that time. When I found out I had won a medal, I was so happy,” he recounted with emotion.

Many years ago in Tuyen Hoa, Quang Binh , a boy returned home after receiving a polio vaccination. His mother found his left leg swollen. The only remedy she could find was a traditional remedy of applying heated papaya leaves to it. It did not work, and his left leg gradually atrophied.

Hung said that in his early years, he was not aware of his disability. It was not until second grade that curious looks and malicious teasing bothered him. Many times he wondered why bad things happened to him? Why was he different? Why couldn't he be like normal children?

The inferiority complex followed Hung until the sixth grade, when his gym teacher suggested that he join the sports team. Hung's first reaction was to look up at the teacher with a skeptical gaze. Are you kidding me, playing sports, with a body like this?

Then the teacher said, “Playing sports for the disabled will give you many gifts.” And so Hung agreed. Hung’s family was very poor. His father worked as a militia in the neighborhood and only had a nominal salary, the family’s finances depended on his mother, who worked as an hourly cleaner. The income was not much while there were so many members in the family, and Hung had such weak limbs. Playing sports and receiving gifts would at least make his parents happy, and maybe help them a little.

If talking about sports talent, perhaps Hung does not have it. But he plays with determination and will, with his family as his motivation. That is how Hung made a name for himself at the Asian Youth Paralympics, winning 3 consecutive gold medals in the 100m race, long jump and standing javelin throw. In addition to the sparkling medals, Hung also brought home 2 million 350 thousand in prize money for his parents. He gave it to his parents, only asking to keep it to celebrate with friends and buy some essential training equipment.

While many of his friends at that age only knew how to study, Hung, despite his disability, was able to earn money to help his parents. The inferiority complex he had felt for so long gradually disappeared. Hung knew that he could do things that others could not. Hung became stronger.

But everything was just beginning, there were many challenges awaiting Cao Ngoc Hung. Since 2005, he switched to a wheelchair. This change made Hung more confident because he could hide his limp. But besides that, it was difficult to adapt to the feeling of being constrained, and only being able to use the upper limbs limited his throwing power. Hung was forced to practice more advanced exercises, constantly training his shoulder and arm muscles.

“It was a long and challenging process, with fatigue and excruciating pain,” Hung said.

At the same time, his mother, the main breadwinner of the family, suffered a serious stroke, paralyzing half of her body. His father was also old at the time, and his siblings were all married with hundreds of things to worry about. With no other choice, Hung had to drop out of school to help his sister sell pho, and at the same time do all sorts of jobs like selling shoes along the street, as long as he could make money.

Every day Hung had to wake up at 4am to help his sister set up the stall, carry things, and sweep. At 8:30am he asked her permission to go to the gym, returning at 11am to stand at the shop so she could rest. At 1:30pm she came down, and he was able to take a nap before running to Phu Tho Stadium to practice his skills. At 6:30pm Hung was already at the shop, continuing to work with his sister until late at night. This schedule repeated for years, enough to make even the strongest people collapse. Not Hung.

“Sometimes it is hard, but I need to continue. Once I have chosen a path, I have to go all the way, I am not allowed to falter. I think if I change direction, I have to start over from the beginning, so it is even more difficult. I have to practice, try harder than 100% with the thought that having a medal means having money for medicine for my mother, taking care of my father and twin sister,” Hung confided.

Later, Hung's family also included his wife, disabled athlete Nguyen Thi Hai, and two children. Hai was from Nghe An, paralyzed in the right leg since childhood, then moved to Saigon, and learned a trade at the An Binh Charity Club. Hung met Hai in 2005, when they both had the same disability class F58 and played three sports together: javelin throw, discus throw, and shot put, thereby supporting each other from training to competition.

Right from the first meeting, Hung secretly loved Hai. He confessed many times but did not receive her approval. She criticized him as "childish" (Hai is 5 years older than Hung). However, with his care and sincerity, Hung's lasting love was rewarded. After returning from the London Olympics, in March 2013, he confessed again and Hai agreed.

They became the golden couple in the disabled sports community, both building a happy home and reaping sporting achievements. Hai won two gold medals at the 2014 ASEAN Para Games, including a world record of 24m88 in discus throw. At the recent 32nd SEA Games, Hai won 3 gold medals in a row while her husband continued to assert his dominance in the regional javelin throw.

However, their life was not easy. Hai and Hung once opened a restaurant, but after paying for the premises, they had to rely on the bonuses from the medals. Things became even more difficult when Hai had to put his career on hold to take care of his children, turning himself into a solid support for Hung to focus on training.

“The life of an athlete is so poor, before there was no regime, just practicing alone, waiting for a medal to get a decent bonus. Before, being alone was fine, but now I have a wife and children, I probably have to find another job to support my life,” Hung shared.

For that reason, the spear Hung threw was also the love for his wife, the food and milk for his children.

Now the hardships are over. Hung and his wife's life is better. In addition to the athlete's allowance, Hai also sells cosmetics while Hung works in construction and contracting. That's when Hung gradually thinks about the future. In his words, "the end of each journey will be a new door, a new path".

Of course, the current path is not yet complete. The children are grown, Hai can continue to pursue records, and so can Hung. He is aiming for the two Paralympics in Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028.

Through his sports achievements, many people know Hung, including people with disabilities. They call him to hear advice and seek motivation in life. Not long ago, a friend named Khoa who had problems with his bones and spine called to thank Hung. Khoa said that thanks to his example, sharing and physical exercises that Hung taught, his condition is gradually improving while his inferiority complex is also gone. Happy for Khoa, Hung also feels that he should do something to support more people.

With what he has been through, Hung can show them a way. It is sports. “Through my own experience, I realize that sports is the medicine, helping disabled people like me forget their shortcomings, giving them the confidence to step out into society,” he said, “Not only that, but also being able to interact, make new friends, and access knowledge and cultures that I have never known before.”

Hung will soon open a club. As a coach, he wants to pass on all his knowledge and experience to young people with disabilities. First, they will have good health, then they can become a new generation of disabled athletes, helping Vietnamese sports develop more and more.

PIONEER

Source: https://tienphong.vn/vdv-khuyet-tat-cao-ngoc-hung-bien-dieu-khong-the-thanh-co-the-post1554131.tpo