Chinese Paralympic cyclist Wang Xiaomei believes that cycling has become an important part of her life and has made her life happier.
Having claimed silver in track cycling women's individual pursuit at Tokyo Paralympic Games, Wang is now preparing herself for the Paris Paralympics.
"It's just a few days before we leave for the Paris Paralympics, so I'm going to make the most of every training session before then," said Wang, the youngest member of the Chinese cycling team for the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games.
Born in 2000, Wang was a cerebral palsy patient with a congenital right-sided neurological disorder caused by a lack of oxygen at birth, which caused great difficulties for her at the beginning of her career in 2016.
Due to the stiffness of her right limb, falling was a common occurrence for Wang, but she did not give up and managed to overcome her physical defects with the help of her coach to achieve excellent results at the Tokyo Paralympics and the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou City, East China's Zhejiang Province.
Speaking to reporters before the Paris Paralympics, Wang said her cycling career has brought both physical and mental changes to her, making her happier and more outgoing. "People would notice me because of my physical condition since childhood, and I felt that the right side of my body, especially my right hand, was very ugly, so I always put it in my pocket to hide it from the view of others. It makes me feel inferior. I started my career with the Guangdong provincial para-cycling team in 2016. I was deeply touched by an online comment that said, 'The Olympics selects the peak of human bodies, and the Paralympics selects the most unyielding human souls'. Cycling has brought me a lot and greatly changed me both mentally and physically. It has become a part of my life. This sport will take you to see the world and see great landscapes. It will make you happier and more outgoing," Wang said.
Wang received her cycling suit before her departure for Paris, saying the suit's design will boost her confidence.
"I really like the design of the suit. It has China's national flag on the left, Chinese characters 'zhong guo' on the right, and also a Paralympic logo. This suit will make me more confident," Wang said.
The Chinese Paralympic delegation on August 21 departed for Paris to participate in the 2024 Paralympic Games, which will kick off on Aug. 28.
The delegation, consisting of 516 members, includes 284 athletes, will compete in 19 sports across 302 events.
Cycling is the third largest source of gold medals at the Paralympic Games, trailing only athletics and swimming. Eight athletes from China's para-cycling team will compete for a total of 22 gold medals in Paris.
Cycling makes life happier: Chinese Paralympic cyclist
