Disabled athlete Nguyen Van Bich: Journey of determination to reach out to the world

(DN) - In the harsh afternoon sun at Dong Nai Stadium, the image of a 57-year-old man tirelessly pushing each lap of his wheelchair on the racetrack made many people admire him. That athlete is Nguyen Van Bich, currently living in Hung Thinh Commune, Dong Nai Province, who has been involved in sports for the disabled for more than 2 decades.

From a paraplegic, he has become the pride of Dong Nai sports , contributing to bringing home a series of valuable medals in many domestic tournaments.

Athlete Nguyen Van Bich is the pride of Dong Nai sports. Photo: Huy Anh

Passion from student days

Mr. Nguyen Van Bich's chance to get involved in sports started when he was a student. He said that at that time, in his free time, he followed his friends to join sports groups for the disabled, trying out many sports such as badminton, table tennis, basketball, swimming... until he found his true passion in wheelchair racing.

Athlete Nguyen Van Bich (left cover) competes in the wheelchair category at a national sports championship for the disabled. Photo: NVCC

"I play all kinds of sports, but when I tried wheelchair racing, I found it suitable and have been doing it ever since" - Mr. Nguyen Van Bich shared.

To achieve his passion, Mr. Bich had to go through many difficulties. When he first started practicing, he did not have a vehicle so he had to borrow a friend's car to practice, then saved up for a long time to invest in a personal car. The training process was also full of challenges because for a disabled person, each movement requires much more effort than a normal person.

Mr. Nguyen Van Bich opened a coffee shop at home to earn extra income to support his family. Photo: Huy Anh

The most unforgettable memory for Mr. Bich was the first time he competed in Hue city. He recalled: “That time I went to compete in Hue, I had to get on the train at 6 pm but at 5 pm I was still having a fever, almost 40 degrees. I called the coach, he told me to consider my health, if I could hold on then I could go, the ticket had already been bought. During the whole journey to Hue, I lay lethargic on the train, I had no strength left. But somehow when I entered the race track, I suddenly got better, ran quickly and won 3 bronze medals in a row. That was the first time I competed in a wheelchair, it was also the time that gave me the belief that I was really suited to this sport.”

"Sweet fruit" from extraordinary willpower

In 2004, Mr. Nguyen Van Bich officially joined the Dong Nai province disabled team, starting his professional career in wheelchair racing. For more than 20 years, he has won a huge number of medals, continuously bringing home many valuable medals, contributing to the overall achievements of the Dong Nai disabled athletes team. Almost every time he participated in a domestic competition, he won a medal, at least a bronze medal.

Mr. Nguyen Van Bich with his collection of medals, cups, and certificates of achievements over the past 20 years. Photo: Huy Anh

On September 13, athlete Nguyen Van Bich and teammate Ly Duc Quyen won the silver medal in the men's doubles in the BC4 disability category at the 2025 National Championships in swimming, chess, boccia, archery and judo for the disabled in Ho Chi Minh City.

In recent years, Mr. Bich has excelled in winning at least one gold medal for Dong Nai disabled sports at national disabled sports competitions and tournaments.

At the 6th National Paralympic Sports Festival in 2018, Mr. Bich won 1 gold medal in the 400m event and 1 silver medal (HCB) in the 100m men's wheelchair category T53/54. Mr. Bich continued to make his mark when he won a gold medal in the 400m event and 1 silver medal in the 800m distance at the National Paralympic Athletics and Swimming Championship in 2019. Along with athletics, he also won 1 individual bronze medal and 1 team gold medal (with Ly Duc Quyen) in the BC4 disability category in his first time competing with his teammates in boccia.

Dong Nai athlete Nguyen Van Bich (blue shirt) excellently won the gold medal in the men's 800m wheelchair event in the T54 disability category at the 2020 National Para Athletics and Swimming Championships . Photo: NVCC

Athlete Nguyen Van Bich won a gold medal in the BC4 disability category of boccia in 2020. Photo: NVCC

Athlete Nguyen Van Bich on the track at the 2022 National Para Athletics and Swimming Championship. Photo: NVCC

Athlete Nguyen Van Bich won 1 gold medal and 2 silver medals in the wheelchair category at the 2023 National Paralympic Sports Championship. Photo: NVCC

In 2020, Mr. Bich continued to successfully defend his 400m gold medal and won a bronze medal in the 100m men's wheelchair at the 2020 National Para Athletics and Swimming Championships. In addition, he also won an individual gold medal and a team silver medal in boccia.

In 2022 and 2023, he continued to leave his mark by continuously winning gold medals in the 800m distance and 2 silver medals: 200m, 400m men's wheelchair T54 disability category. In addition, he also won a team gold medal and individual silver medal in boccia.

Athlete Nguyen Van Bich competes in boccia at the 2023 National Badminton, Table Tennis, Weightlifting, and Boccia Championships for the Disabled in Dong Nai. Photo: Huy Anh

Most recently in 2024, athlete Nguyen Van Bich continued to win the gold medal in the 800m distance and the silver medal in the 200m distance for men's wheelchair in the T54 disability category at the National Championships in athletics, archery, blind judo, and boccia for people with disabilities. And recently at the 2025 National Championship for Sports for People with Disabilities, Mr. Bich and his teammate Ly Duc Quyen   won silver medal in men's team BC4 boccia.

Dong Nai athlete Nguyen Van Bich excellently won the gold medal in the men's 800m wheelchair race in the T54 disability category of the National Paralympic Sports Championship. Photo: NVCC

The achievements of athlete Nguyen Van Bich not only brought him a title, but also encouraged the disabled community everywhere. The image of a strong, resilient man on the track has inspired many people, helping the disabled believe that willpower can overcome the limits of the body.

Athlete Nguyen Van Bich (Dong Nai, blue shirt, second from right) received a silver medal in the men's doubles event BC4. Photo: DVCC

Coach Nguyen Ngoc Quang, who has been with him since 2009, shared: “When I first took over the Dong Nai Paralympic Athletics Team, I was really impressed with Bich. Even though his house is far away and the travel is difficult, he has never missed a training session. For a wheelchair athlete, hard training is mandatory, and Bich has proven that with extraordinary determination. He is strict with himself, always follows the training plan, and that is what has created a successful athlete of Dong Nai Paralympic Sports.”

Behind the halo lies a simple life. Previously, Mr. Nguyen Van Bich used to earn a living by doing many jobs. After the pandemic, his business declined, so he and his family opened a small coffee shop right at home to have a stable source of income. In that house, he is the pillar of the whole family: two husband, two children and a 93-year-old mother.

“There is always pressure. But I think if I stay healthy and save, life will be fine,” said Mr. Bich. What keeps him steadfast in life and confident in pursuing his passion is the support of his family: “Sports helps me have fewer minor illnesses. My wife and children see that and encourage me to continue. As long as I can take care of my family, I can confidently practice.”

Achievements of athlete Nguyen Van Bich in recent years

2020: Gold medal in 400m, Bronze medal in 100m wheelchair

2021 (not organized)

2022: Gold medal 800m, Silver medal 200m, 400m wheelchair

2023: Gold medal 800m, Silver medal 200m, 400m wheelchair

2024: Gold medal in 800m, Silver medal in 200m wheelchair

Touching the international "dream" after more than 2 decades

After more than two decades of being involved in para-athletic racing, 57-year-old athlete Nguyen Van Bich has been duly rewarded with his first opportunity to compete in the international arena.

57-year-old athlete from Dong Nai, Nguyen Van Bich, trains diligently at Dong Nai Stadium to maintain his endurance and aim for future goals. Photo: Minh Hanh

Recently, the Vietnam Paralympic Committee sent a dispatch to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dong Nai announcing the nomination of Mr. Nguyen Van Bich, an athlete of the Dong Nai disabled team, to participate in the International Wheelchair Marathon, taking place from November 13 to 16, 2025 in Oita, Japan, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world.

Every time he practices at Dong Nai Stadium, Mr. Nguyen Van Bich has to ride a motorbike from Hung Thinh Commune in his wheelchair. Photo: Minh Hanh

This is the first time in his career that Mr. Nguyen Van Bich has had the opportunity to compete in an international arena. For him, it is not just a competition, but a dream after more than 20 years of being attached to the racetrack.

According to the plan at the International Wheelchair Marathon, Mr. Bich will compete in the Ian wheelchair half marathon (21.5km). This will be a challenge for Mr. Bich because he has never competed in this long distance before in domestic competitions. The longest distance he has ever competed in and won a silver medal was the 5,000m wheelchair at the National Paralympic Sports Tournament in 2013. In recent years at the national competition, he has only competed in short distances of 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m.

Besides training sessions at Dong Nai Stadium, Mr. Nguyen Van Bich still works out diligently on the roads near his home to maintain his physical strength. Photo: Huy Anh

However, in the process of preparing for the first international tournament, Mr. Bich did not really encounter any major obstacles because he had trained to maintain his physical strength for a distance of about 20km for two trips on roads near his home, even without counting the time. To be suitable for the upcoming race, Mr. Bich was forced to change his training method to practice running at a faster speed, continuously for a distance of more than 20km.

The biggest challenge for athlete Nguyen Van Bich now is that, in parallel with training for the first international tournament, he also has to complete the coach's exercises to achieve the best results at the 2025 National Para Athletics Championship, taking place from October 21 to 28 in Lam Dong province.

Athlete Nguyen Van Bich with his "war horse". Photo: Huy Anh

Mr. Nguyen Van Bich shared: “When I heard that I was selected to participate in the International Wheelchair Marathon in Japan, I was both happy and worried. I was happy because my dream finally came true, but also worried because I had never run such a long distance before. However, I told myself: since I have the opportunity, I have to try my best.”

More than 20 years ago, Mr. Nguyen Van Bich "ran" with his will to overcome his fate. And now, he continues to "run", not only for himself, but also to inspire thousands of other disabled people. For Mr. Nguyen Van Bich, the journey to Japan is not simply a competition but a dream that has come true after 20 years. It is an opportunity for him to join the race with international disabled athletes and prove that willpower and desire can help people overcome all limits.

Huy Anh - Minh Hanh - Thuy Tien

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/the-thao/202509/van-dong-vien-khuet-tat-nguyen-van-bich-hanh-trinh-nghi-luc-vuon-ra-the-gioi-63c2121/