The 32nd SEA Games ended with unexpected success when the Vietnamese Sports Delegation won the overall first place with 136 gold medals (HCV); 105 silver medals (HCB) and 114 bronze medals (HCĐ). The Thanh Hoa Province Sports Delegation alone won 17 medals of various types, including 7 gold medals.
Athlete Cao Thi Duyen with coach Pham Tuan Anh
"Golden girl" of Muong land
Of the total 17 medals won by athletes from Thanh Hoa province, athlete Cao Thi Duyen (born 2001; residing in Quy Tan village, Cam Quy commune, Cam Thuy district, Thanh Hoa province) contributed 5 medals, including 3 gold medals, 2 silver medals, breaking 2 records of SEA Games 32.
Although she is one of the typical athletes who brought glory to the country, few people know that Duyen also had an extremely difficult childhood, when her father worked as a "stone cutter" and her mother wove bamboo mats to make a living.
Coming to Quy Tan village, we were quite surprised by Cao Thi Duyen's family situation when she lived with her parents and brother's family in a level 4 house of about 30 square meters, with stone walls, bricks, and tiled roofs that had discolored over time, leaning against the hillside.
In the small house, looking around there was nothing valuable except for certificates of merit and colorful medals hung densely on the walls.
The simple house of athlete Cao Thi Duyen's family in Cam Quy commune, Cam Thuy district, Thanh Hoa province
Mr. Cao Van Ky (born in 1978), father of athlete Cao Thi Duyen, said that his family and clan are very proud of Duyen. However, at the 32nd SEA Games, he could not believe that his daughter had won 5 medals and broken 2 SEA Games records. "My family was quite surprised because during the time my daughter competed in Cambodia, her uncle passed away. We Muong people believe that when a relative dies, we do not turn on the radio or TV, so the family cannot watch or update their child's achievements but instead hear from neighbors and relatives," Mr. Ky shared.
According to Mr. Ky, although he, his wife and his mother (Duyen's grandmother) were very happy, they did not call because they were afraid that their son would be distracted. "After finishing the competition, coach Pham Tuan Anh and Duyen called to inform the whole family, then the whole family knew that he had won 3 gold medals and 2 silver medals. The whole family was very happy and proud" - Mr. Ky excitedly said.
Certificates of merit and medals of all kinds are hung on the stone wall of athlete Cao Thi Duyen's family.
Cao Thi Duyen's mother, Ms. Cao Thi Quang (born in 1980), was moved when talking about her daughter's path to glory. According to Ms. Quang, Duyen had a talent for swimming since she was little, so when she was only 10 years old, she had to leave her family to Thanh Hoa City (more than 100 km away from home) to practice swimming. "At that time, she was only in 4th grade, and my husband and I felt very sorry for her and couldn't bear to leave her, but seeing her passion, despite the hardship, the family tried their best in the hope that she could change her life, otherwise, it would be too hard in the countryside," Ms. Quang said.
The day their son decided to "go to town", Mr. Ky and his wife Quang worked tirelessly. The life of a "stone worker" was hard, today perched on this mountain, tomorrow on that mountain, whenever someone called, he would set off. Mrs. Quang, on the other hand, took the time to weave bamboo mats, help with housework and cultivate a few acres of rice fields.
Although life was hard, during the 12 years that Duyen pursued a swimming career, Mr. Ky's family never let Duyen be sad, always being the support for their child to have the will to compete at the highest level, bringing glory to the country, family, and clan.
Mr. Cao Van Ky and Mrs. Cao Thi Quang, parents of athlete Cao Thi Duyen, with their daughter's medals and certificates of merit.
Unexpected turn
In 2011, Cao Thi Duyen was discovered by Thanh Hoa sports scouts and trained to become a professional swimmer. Besides Duyen, there were 5 other students in Cam Quy commune, but only Duyen was able to stay in swimming.
Coach Pham Tuan Anh, who has been directly training Cao Thi Duyen since 2015, said that the girl from Cam Thuy was initially selected and trained for swimming. During the training process, Duyen discovered that she had a chronic illness and was unlikely to develop.
Normally, athletes like that would be advised to return home, continue their studies, and choose another path. However, seeing Duyen’s talent, coach Pham Tuan Anh transferred Cao Thi Duyen to diving, because swimming and diving have many similarities, so the transfer was not difficult.
Grandmother of athlete Cao Thi Duyen
Changing her sport was the right decision. In her first year of swimming (2015), she switched to diving. Cao Thi Duyen won 2 gold medals and broke 2 national records at the age group championships. A year later, Duyen won the gold medal at the national youth championship. In 2017, at the age of 16, Duyen won 3 gold medals and broke 1 record at the national championship; and also won 2 gold medals at the Asian youth championship.
At the 2018 National Sports Festival, Duyen won 1 gold medal, 2 silver medals, and broke 1 record. In 2020 and 2021, Cao Thi Duyen maintained her achievement of winning 2 gold medals at the national diving championship.
Notably, in 2022, Cao Thi Duyen won 2 gold medals at the 31st SEA Games, 3 gold medals, 3 silver medals at the National Sports Festival, breaking 2 festival records.
Despite the hard and difficult work, family is always the support for athlete Cao Thi Duyen to rise up, becoming the pride of her family, clan and national sports.
At the 32nd SEA Games, Cao Thi Duyen, 22 years old, won 3 gold medals in diving in the following events: 4x200m women's air hose relay, 4x100m women's air hose relay, 100m women's pair air hose; won 2 silver medals in the following events: 50m women's air hose individual and 4x50m mixed relay. This is the highest achievement, a record of Thanh Hoa sports that an athlete has won at a SEA Games.
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