In a spacious house on a slope in Group 7, Huong Son Ward, Thai Nguyen City, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh gently moves on wooden crutches. Behind that appearance is an extraordinary journey, the journey of a woman who has never been to school, who used to live with an inferiority complex because she could not walk like everyone else. With each step of her efforts, she not only takes care of herself and her family, but also affirms herself as a disabled athlete with high achievements, becoming a strong source of inspiration for determination and resilience for many people.

Even though she is in a wheelchair, Ms. Oanh still stands strong, proving that her willpower is not limited by physical disabilities. Photo provided by the character (NVCC)

Do not bow to fate

Born in the land of Gang Thep in a poor working class family, Ms. Oanh is the eldest of four siblings. Her childhood could have been as peaceful as any other child if the cruel polio fever had not struck when she was just two years old. After just one night, her little legs suddenly became immobile, bringing with them the dream of happily going to school and running around in the yard, forever ended.

At that time, Oanh's family was still in great need. Even though she was pregnant, her mother still patiently carried her child and traveled dozens of kilometers, from provincial to central hospitals, just hoping to keep her child's chance to walk. All their trust and love were put into each visit, each treatment regimen. However, they could only quietly return after each trip, carrying in their hearts the words that cut deeply like a knife: "Go home and take care of your child's education, because these legs... can't walk anymore", she recounted that moment with downcast eyes. Her two hands clasped tightly together on her knees, trembling slightly as if trying to hold back an old pain that no words could describe.

There were times when she felt like she was at her wits’ end, Oanh’s mother thought: “How can I raise my child when her legs can’t even walk?”. Too miserable, she thought she couldn’t survive, so she taught her how to ask for every penny. The face of a woman who has passed half her life still retains the same gentle features, but in that moment, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes seemed to deepen, reflecting a childhood filled with tears and silent suffering.

Oanh's childhood was a series of quiet days behind the door, without the sound of the school drum, without friends, without even a proper playground. Every morning, she could only sit and watch the children in the neighborhood chattering to class, then gently turn away when she heard the heartbreaking teasing: "That crippled girl, she can't go to school!". She cried, got angry, felt sorry for herself, but never once let herself fall down. She only wished to put her backpack on her shoulder and sit in a classroom like other children of the same age. Even though she couldn't go to school, every day she taught herself to read and write through the strokes her mother wrote on the wooden door. She slowly spelled each letter, each calculation, and then memorized the multiplication table like that. "My handwriting is not fast, but everyone says it's beautiful," she smiled, a smile mixed with pride and bitterness of someone who has gone against the current, searching for the light of knowledge in the darkness of deprivation.

Despite not having received formal training, Ms. Oanh still takes clear notes, has neat handwriting, and manages business books effectively.

When she grew up, she chose to learn sewing. From a mat spread on the floor, she squatted down to cut each piece of fabric, diligently working on each stitch and needle. Some days, if the sewing was broken, she would take it apart and start again, her calloused hands gradually becoming more skillful. From those silent efforts, a small tailor shop gradually took shape, and she taught other disabled people the same way she had taught herself in the past.

But fate seemed to have not let her go. In 2003, her hands were severely affected by keratosis, making her unable to continue holding needles and cutting fabric. At that time, her life seemed to have reached a dead end. She thought to herself: “Rich in both eyes, poor in both hands. How can I continue living now?”. Painful and disappointed, she never thought of giving up. She began her entrepreneurial journey with a small souvenir shop of only about 16 square meters . There was no flashy signboard, no loud advertising, but on special occasions, customers flocked to her, sometimes so crowded that there was no more room to stand. Recalling those early days, her eyes lit up with pride mixed with emotion: “There were many days when there were so many customers, I couldn’t even raise my head, I was so happy that I cried.”

Shine from the flaws

When her life became somewhat stable economically , Ms. Oanh opened a new chapter for her journey, not to make a living, but to live more fully with passion and desire to conquer. On the tennis court, amidst the endless rotation of the wheelchair, she seemed to have been given wings, sublimated with each ball and burning passion.

Having fallen in love with tennis since accidentally seeing images of disabled athletes competing on television in 2017, Ms. Oanh was drawn into the world of powerful racket swings and confident wheelchair spins. Without a coach or formal lessons, her journey to the tennis court began with exploration, self-study, sweaty practice sessions, and the help of friends in the disabled community. “The hardest part is controlling the wheelchair to chase the bouncing ball. Each move requires a full effort, calculating the direction, speed, and coordinating the whole body smoothly, but I am not as healthy as a normal person,” she shared, her tanned face still reflecting a gentle, carefree look like her inner strength.

Each shot she hits is not only a matter of technique but also contains will and determination, which she has diligently cultivated through each practice session. Photo: NVCC

Starting from zero with tennis, she gradually became a familiar face on the courts for the disabled. Overcoming the challenging early days, by 2019, she officially participated in sports tournaments, where each match fueled her passion.

It was that passion that motivated her and her companions to establish the Thai Nguyen City Disabled Sports Club in early 2023. With 22 members operating on a voluntary, self-managed and cohesive spirit, the club is not only a place for physical training but also a space for sharing, where people who once felt inferior because of their physical disabilities find encouragement, faith and motivation to overcome themselves.

“I feel very weak when I stand and walk. My legs are very weak. But when I sit in the wheelchair, I feel like I have wings, light as flying,” she said with a warm smile, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Sitting in a wheelchair, Ms. Oanh focuses on returning the ball during a tennis practice session for the disabled. Photo: NVCC

Training conditions are difficult, there is no field specifically for the disabled, no coach, no regime. She has to rent a field, raise sponsorship, buy a racket and learn techniques through videos. Especially the tires and special inner tubes, which have to be ordered from abroad, each set costs millions of dong, and wear out very quickly because of having to constantly move on the rough field. "There was a day when I finished practicing and the tire on my wheelchair broke, I had to patch it right there on the field. But I was not discouraged, the harder it was, the more I wanted to conquer it," she said.

In her strenuous sports journey, Ms. Oanh has brought home a series of impressive achievements. From 2021 to now, she has continuously won medals at major tournaments such as the National Wheelchair Tennis Championship in 2021 and 2022, the National Para-Sports Championship - Tennis in 2023 and the National Wheelchair Tennis Championship in 2024. Also in 2024, Ms. Oanh left her mark when participating in the Para Pickleball Tournament for the VTV Tam Long Viet Cup.

For Ms. Oanh, each medal is not only a reward but also a testament to her strong spirit and will to constantly rise above adversity. Photo: NVCC

However, that glory does not make her complacent about herself. She humbly shares: "I hope many people will participate, so that everyone feels valuable and recognized."

Not stopping at the journey of self-conquest, Ms. Oanh also quietly became a "fire-spreader" in the disabled community. "Disabled people often live a closed life, rarely dare to go out, their lives gradually become narrower. I think, if you stay at home all the time, you will only see walls and ceilings. Go out, exercise a little, the atmosphere will be different, the spirit will also be different," she shared.

That is why Ms. Oanh always spends time going everywhere, knocking on doors, calling people in similar situations to her to encourage them to participate in sports, not to compete, but to live happily and healthily. Some people jokingly say that she exercises so much to have opponents, but she just smiles: "I need teammates, not opponents. The more people participate, the more opportunities there are for disabled sports to develop."

At an age when many people want to retire, she wishes she were ten or fifteen years younger so she could continue competing and give her all with each ball. But instead of regretting, she chose to pass on that passion to the next generation. From young people who were shy when they first came to the field, to athletes who had never known the feeling of victory, she patiently accompanied, guided, and shared every experience accumulated through sweat and perseverance.  

Not stopping at wheelchair tennis, she and her friends in the disabled community started to get acquainted with Pickleball. At first, everyone mainly explored on their own, practicing together on the court without professional guidance. “We learned, played, and explored at the same time, and then gradually found ourselves attached without realizing it,” she expressed.

The excitement spread among the members, from the first awkward games to when they became really passionate. In the coming time, she and the members of the club are determined to continue their efforts to develop the Pickleball community for people with disabilities, so that this sport is not only a playground for physical training but also a place to connect spirit and life force.

For Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, sports are not only a physical activity but also a journey of self-healing, helping her overcome her inferiority complex, pain and adversity. Each spin of the bike, each swing of the racket is a testament to her extraordinary willpower, where she finds herself again, lives fully and inspires other disabled people to stand up and confidently move forward in life.

BAO NGOC

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/phong-su/tu-doi-chan-bat-dong-den-nhung-cu-vung-vot-truyen-cam-hung-839692