Taiwan’s citizens were deeply moved by the sight of their Olympic flag being raised at the Tokyo Games. The gold-medal-winning badminton men’s doubles pair Wang Chi-lin and Lee Yang were likewise overjoyed. Their performance showed the world the boundless potential of Taiwan’s badminton players.
At the Tokyo Games, weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun lifted 133 kilograms in the clean and jerk and 103 in the snatch, enough to set new Olympic records and win the gold medal she had dreamed of. But she still had one attempt left in the clean and jerk.
When Julia Chu was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 15, her life was turned upside down. Having undergone numerous operations, she is safe now, although she has lost her sight and the hearing in one ear. Picking herself up from life’s potholes, she has become Taiwan’s first blind counseling psychologist. For Chu, her vision loss has turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
In her 12-year badminton career, Shen Yan-ru (Zoe Shen), now 22 years old and a student in the Graduate Institute of Physical Education at National Taiwan Sport University, has achieved a number of distinctions.
Known as “Grandpa Clown,” Chang Shih-ming is a street performer who suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed. Sitting in his wheelchair and wearing a clown costume, he uses balloon art to interact with others. Laughter fills the air wherever Chang goes.
Lo Chia-ling, whose kicks in the Tokyo Olympics were precise, swift, and fierce, is outside the ring a sincere and upbeat young woman who scrupulously abides by the spirit of Taekwondo. “In fact, I was more nervous during the qualifying events than I was in the formal competition.” Thinking back on her experience, she can’t help but laugh. “By the time I got to the formal competition, my mind was calm, and I wasn’t worried about winning or losing.”
At age 21, Chang Bu, like her fellow undergraduates, was in the prime of life. No one guessed that in that year she would be diagnosed with a type of bone cancer with an incidence of only around one case per million people per year. With her life plans derailed overnight, the young woman ventured into a world she had never imagined.
“Huang Hsiao-wen used straight punches and jabs with her forward hand to draw her opponent in, then attacked. In the first round, four of the five judges gave her a score of ten.”
“Huang Hsiao-wen won the third round with assurance, and advanced to the semifinals by a score of five to nothing.”
For Lin Hsin-pei, flaws in her appearance do not mean she is not normal, just as a nearsighted person is not abnormal for wearing glasses. Paralyzed from the waist down, she needs only a wheelchair and accessible spaces to live the life of an ordinary person. Lin has filmed a commercial for an around-the-world tour and has competed on the TV show I Am a Speaker. She has delivered more than 450 lectures, and lent moral support to countless people in trouble.
“Buen Camino!” (“Good Path!”) is a phrase you are sure to hear on the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) in Spain, as pilgrims from around the world wish each other a safe journey.
