Nguyen Thi Oanh: 'Thanks to sports, I am more resilient, more courageous and more determined'

TPO - At the Conference of advanced models for the 2020/2025 period and the first 6-month review of the year organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the morning of June 25 in Hanoi, SEA Games champion Nguyen Thi Oanh gave an emotional speech, strongly spreading the spirit of sportsmanship and the will to overcome difficulties to a large number of attendees.

Nguyen Thi Oanh's story is not only a journey to the top, but also a living testament to the power of belief and will.

Fate with athletics

Born and raised in Bac Giang province in a farming family, Nguyen Thi Oanh started athletics when she was in 4th grade. But it was not until 8th grade that Oanh officially started training and competing in school and district level athletics competitions.

The first important turning point in Nguyen Thi Oanh’s sports journey was the Bac Giang Newspaper Run – an annual local grassroots competition. It was from this playground that Oanh’s talent was discovered and she was selected to study at the Bac Giang Sports Talent School (now the Provincial Sports Training and Competition Center).

"At first, it was the joy and love of training with my peers; then gradually it became the passion, love and desire to train and compete. That is also one of the motivations that has helped me stick with and accompany the sport of athletics until now," Oanh emotionally shared.

The biggest shock of my career

In 2012, Nguyen Thi Oanh was called up to the national youth athletics team at the Hanoi National Sports Training Center (now the National High-Level Athlete Training Center), marking a big step forward in her career.

Here, under the guidance of dedicated coaches and a professional environment, she continuously won impressive achievements such as the gold medal at the Asian Youth Championship, the silver medal at the 27th SEA Games and many domestic awards.

With her achievements and efforts in training, in 2014, Oanh was called up to the national athletics team, training and competing with experienced and successful seniors.

However, at the end of 2014, Oanh faced a shock when she discovered she had glomerulonephritis, forcing her to leave the track for nearly a year and miss the 28th SEA Games in Singapore. It was a time of crisis, filled with tears and doubts about the future.

"Without the support of my family, teachers, friends and the dedicated medical team, I probably wouldn't have been able to return," Oanh said.

After a period of treatment and recovery, in 2016, Oanh returned to training with a high determination. She understood that opportunities do not come often and this time she had to do everything to make up for the lost time.

Come back and shine

The 29th SEA Games in 2017 in Malaysia marked the spectacular comeback of Nguyen Thi Oanh when she won 2 gold medals in a row. This was not only a victory in terms of achievements but also a victory of faith and courage.

In 2018, Oanh participated for the first time in the 18th ASIAD, the most prestigious sporting event in Asia. Here, she won a bronze medal in the 3,000m steeplechase event, breaking the national record.

Since then, Oanh has continuously reaped glory: 12 gold medals at the SEA Games, holding 1 SEA Games record; 7 gold medals, 1 silver medal and 4 records at the National Sports Festival; 39 gold medals and 5 national records at the National Championships, in the events of 3,000m steeplechase, 5,000m, 10,000m, half marathon and marathon.

With her tireless contributions, Nguyen Thi Oanh was voted as the National Outstanding Athlete for 5 consecutive years (2019-2023). She was honored to receive the Third Class Labor Medal (2018, 2019) and Second Class Labor Medal (2022, 2023) from the President.

Sports: the path to change life

At the Conference, Nguyen Thi Oanh spoke emotionally: “Sports have come and changed my life. Sports help me become more resilient, more courageous and more determined."

In addition to her professional achievements, Oanh also said that the training environment at the Hanoi National Sports Training Center has helped her develop more life skills, become more mature in thinking, behavior and personality.

From a rural girl, Nguyen Thi Oanh has become a model of sportsmanship, representing the new generation of athletes - talented, determined, humble and inspirational.

“There is no path paved with roses, I hope that young people will always be persistent, brave and make breakthroughs on their own path. Dare to dream, dare to aspire and dare to conquer", Oanh sent a message to young people.

In an era where inspirational life examples are extremely valuable, Nguyen Thi Oanh's story is a smoldering but persistent flame, burning forever on the track and in the hearts of millions of Vietnamese people.

Trong Dat

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nguyen-thi-oanh-nho-the-thao-toi-kien-cuong-hon-ban-linh-hon-va-y-chi-hon-post1754430.tpo