Zhang Mengqiu: Efforts will eventually pay off, now if you don’t fight, when will you fight?

Xinhua News Agency, Shijiazhuang, July 5. Zhang Mengqiu: hard work will eventually pay off

Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Shuo

At the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics, Chinese Paralympic alpine skier Zhang Mengqiu won two golds and three silvers, and was awarded the “Beijing Winter Olympics, Paralympic Games Outstanding Contribution Individual” title. In an exclusive interview with a reporter from Xinhua News Agency recently, 20-year-old Zhang Mengqiu summed up his sweat and joy in the past six years with two key words, that is, “hard work” and “persistence”.

Zhang Mengqiu was born in Jingxian County, Hebei Province in 2002. At the age of 14, she was selected by the Hebei Disabled Persons’ Federation to become an alpine skier. “When I first started training, I couldn’t even stick to the 30-minute physical warm-up, so I quit, but with the encouragement of my parents and coaches, I still held on.”

Because of his physical disability, Zhang Mengqiu’s motor coordination ability is poor, and the strength of his legs is different. Therefore, he needs to work harder than ordinary people or even his teammates during training. Although there are many difficulties, this girl is born with a tenacity that will not admit defeat. In order to improve her level as soon as possible, after skiing training, the coach often asks her if she wants to go for another lap, and she agrees without hesitation.

“When I first started training, because of my poor physical condition, I didn’t dare to hope to stand on the podium. But I believe that as long as I train hard, I will definitely achieve good results.” Zhang Mengqiu said.

In the 2017-2018 season, Zhang Mengqiu was selected for the Chinese national team by virtue of his achievements in domestic competitions in China. From 2019 to 2021, she has successively won six gold medals in international competitions such as the New Zealand Southern Hemisphere Cup and the Disabled Alpine Skiing World Cup.

The Paralympic alpine skiing event that Zhang Mengqiu participated in was a solo start, and the final ranking was determined based on the results. Players who start from the back are more prone to psychological fluctuations when they witness the performance of the players in front. She told reporters that she was able to withstand the pressure and finally won two golds and three silvers at the Beijing Winter Paralympics. One of the secrets was a good attitude.

“Some players may be shaken if they see that several players in front make mistakes in the same position. But I just thought, I can skate well myself, and others have nothing to do with me.” Zhang Mengqiu said, “I never Set yourself too high a goal, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, as long as you perform at a normal level, you will win.”

Before the Beijing Winter Paralympics, the Chinese team had never won any medals in the Paralympic alpine skiing event, so every gold and silver medal Zhang Mengqiu won was a new breakthrough for the Chinese team.

“As an athlete, you must work hard. My mother often said to me, ‘How many times can you fight in life, when you don’t fight now?’ Words. Persistence is victory, and hard work pays off.”

Zhang Mengqiu said that his priority now is to recover from the injury and continue training after his body recovers. “I will continue to work hard and use my youth and struggle to make the national flag fly high again in the 2026 Winter Paralympics.”