Sports change lives

VHO - Sports are not only the path to glory through hard work, but also the path that can help people overcome adversity, change their lives and create miracles from their own sweat and tears.

Sports, with its power to inspire will and forge character, have touched the fate of many people. And in that journey, runner Nguyen Thi Oanh, tennis player Le Dinh Duc, and coach Tran Thi Vui are living witnesses to the extraordinary transformational power of Vietnamese sports.

Spread positive energy to the community

At the Conference of typical advanced models in the period of 2020-2025 and the summary of the first 6 months of the year of the Vietnam Sports and Physical Training Department held on the morning of June 25 in Hanoi , Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong emphasized: "Praising typical examples like athlete Nguyen Thi Oanh is not only to praise achievements, but also to spread a greater value - that is belief, determination and aspiration for a positive life in the community".

Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong said that from Nguyen Thi Oanh's journey, we see the model of an athlete who not only strives for medals, but also persistently overcomes illness and obstacles, resiliently rises up with love for sports and national spirit. That is the story that Vietnamese sports needs more of to foster will, arouse aspirations and promote the training movement among the entire population, especially the young generation. "The emulation movement in the whole industry needs to be substantive, avoiding formalities, so that there is not only Nguyen Thi Oanh but also many other "Oanhs" - persistent flames of inspiration", the Deputy Minister emphasized.

Regarding the tasks in the coming time, Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong suggested that the Vietnam Sports Administration should focus on perfecting the institution, effectively implementing key projects such as the Olympic Key Sports Development Program, the Decree replacing Decree 152, as well as promoting the application of technology (especially artificial intelligence) in training and coaching elite sports. The Deputy Minister also paid special attention to the preparation work for the 33rd SEA Games and the 2025 Asian Youth Games, and requested to continue to perfect the organizational apparatus to ensure operational efficiency, promoting the sustainable development of the country's sports in the integration period.

Nguyen Thi Oanh: From a village school girl to a symbol of Vietnamese bravery

Nguyen Thi Oanh (SEA Games champion in 4 track and field events) is not only an outstanding athlete, but also an endless source of inspiration for the younger generation. Originating from the school sports movement in Bac Giang , the 4th grade girl had a chance to run as a summer game. Few people expected that from school and district-level running competitions, Oanh would open the door to high-performance sports, a path that was not paved with roses.

Overcoming a difficult childhood, in 2012, Oanh officially entered the national youth athletics team. But the cruel turning point came in 2014, when she was diagnosed with glomerulonephritis. Her body gradually weakened, and her SEA Games dream was interrupted. There were times when she thought she had to give up, but with the support of her family, teachers, doctors, and loved ones, Oanh persevered.

Her spectacular comeback at the 29th SEA Games in 2017 with 2 gold medals, followed by a series of impressive achievements with 12 SEA Games gold medals, 7 National Sports Festival gold medals, 39 national gold medals, and many national and regional records have made Vietnamese sports famous. But more than the numbers is an unyielding spirit. Oanh once said: “Sports have come and changed my life. Sports help me to be more resilient, more courageous, and dare to face difficulties and challenges.”

Oanh also sent a message to young people: “There is no path paved with roses, I hope that young people will always be persistent, brave and make breakthroughs on their own path; dare to dream, dare to aspire and dare to conquer. I am proud to be born and raised in Vietnam. I promise to continue to try and strive even harder to bring many achievements to contribute to the overall development of Vietnamese Sports", famous runner Nguyen Thi Oanh shared, making many people emotional at the Congress of advanced models for the period 2020-2025 organized by the Vietnam Sports Department in Hanoi on June 25.

Athlete Nguyen Thi Oanh (left) and coach Tran Thi Vui were honored at the 2020-2025 Advanced Model Conference of the Vietnam Sports and Physical Training Department.

Le Dinh Duc: A miracle written with tears and faith

If Nguyen Thi Oanh is a symbol of courage and aspiration, then Le Dinh Duc is a testament to the miraculous power of sports in healing and lighting up faith. Once an active boy passionate about table tennis, at the age of 13, Duc suddenly became paralyzed from the waist down due to ankylosing spondylitis. After six months in the hospital, living on the backs of his parents, all hope seemed lost. But sports do not abandon those who do not give up.

With the help of his family, teammates, and especially his devoted teacher (Coach Vu Manh Cuong) and philanthropists like Mr. Do Quang Hien, Duc gradually recovered. The days when his friends took turns carrying him to the gym on the 5th floor to pick up a racket again were the days that wrote a silent epic. And then, 9 months after leaving the hospital, Duc won the gold medal at the national youth tournament.

Since then, he has continuously achieved success: 2 SEA Games bronze medals, many national gold medals. But for Duc, the greatest victory is to live fully with passion. In the eyes of the math teacher father massaging his son's feet after each match, in the tight hugs of his teammates, people see a whole kind sports community, where humanity is the foundation for miracles to appear.

Tran Thi Vui: Dedication from athlete to guide

For the head coach of the national sepak takraw team, Tran Thi Vui, sports not only brought her a brilliant youth with titles, but also a foundation to build a stable and sustainable life.

From an athlete in Bac Giang province, Vui rose to become the leader of the national team. But behind the glory are many sacrifices. As a woman, in addition to her professional work, she also has to take care of her family life, take care of athletes, plan training sessions, and then spend months away from home training and competing.

“It is a trade-off, but I feel happy and proud to be able to live my passion and contribute to the development of the country’s sports,” Vui shared. In her journey of more than 20 years, Tran Thi Vui has become a person who inspires and gives wings to many generations of sepak takraw talents. She is proof of the truth: Sports will not abandon those who devote themselves to it.

From the stories of Nguyen Thi Oanh, Le Dinh Duc and Tran Thi Vui, it can be seen that sports are not simply a race for achievements or a path to glory, but above all, it is a journey of self-discovery, a miracle that supports human fates, and a light at the end of a road that seems to have ended.

Oanh overcame her illness, conquering the regional arena with her legs and steely will; Duc overturned fate, returning to table tennis matches with all her faith and love; Vui persevered on the path of training, silently contributing to raising the level of the young generation of athletes. They are not only honored names, but also symbols of the desire to live, of the spirit of perseverance and indomitability.

The message that sports conveys, through such fates, is not about who is faster or stronger, but about who is braver, who knows how to stand up after each fall. That is the most sustainable and humane value that sports brings.

In a modern society where the fast pace of life easily draws people into quick pursuits, sports remind us of endurance, kindness, and the ability to overcome ourselves. And above all, it is an affirmation that sports can change lives, when people know how to live it to the fullest.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/the-thao-thay-doi-cuoc-doi-146494.html