Liu Yukun has won 22 gold medals and broke the Paralympic world record 6 times; in order to welcome the 2022 Winter Olympics, a team of dryland curling volunteers was formed

"Three Iron Princess" Liu Yukun looks forward to becoming the torchbearer of the Winter Olympics

  In the eyes of people, disabled people need more care and help, while in the Olympic competition arena, disabled athletes use their enthusiasm to interpret the spirit of hard work.

This includes Liu Yukun, who has won 22 gold medals and broke the Paralympic world record six times. He was called the "Three Iron Princess" by the media because he won gold medals in the three events of Discus, Shot Put, and Javelin.

  On May 15th, Liu Yukun gave a lecture on "Blooming Life Beyond Dreams" in the "National Day for the Disabled" by the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, and combined his personal experience to express his love for the Paralympic and his persistent pursuit of the Paralympic spirit. , To encourage people with disabilities to build confidence and courage through the Paralympic Movement.

  Wearing a prosthesis and walking into the door of sports again

  Beijing News: When did you start to get in touch with sports?

How did you get out of the bottom of your life after losing your feet?

  Liu Yukun: I have liked sports since I was a child.

Before the age of 18, I was a guard of the school basketball team. I often played football, skating, and ice hockey with boys. Sports gave me a lot of happiness and dreams.

When I was 19, I joined the factory as an electric welder.

One day, while I was working on it, a steel plate behind me suddenly fell over and hit my foot. At that time, I was stunned.

When I opened my eyes again, my feet were gone!

Two feet are gone!

I'm only 19 years old. How can I live without my feet?

  I couldn't accept it at that time. I cut my wrist four times and committed suicide. Finally, under the pleading of my mother, I decided to cheer up.

Since then, with the prosthesis, I began to learn to walk, ride a bicycle and other essential activities in life. After each practice, I would wear blisters and even bleed on my legs, but I didn't use any crutches.

After my body recovered, I went back to work and chose to continue working, and became the first batch of "self-improvement models" in our country.

  Beijing News: What opportunity made you choose sports again?

  Liu Yukun: In 1984, I came to Beijing to change prostheses. When I passed the Workers' Stadium, I saw a group of disabled people training there.

I walked over and asked, "What are you doing?" "Go to the U.S. to participate in the Olympics." "Can the disabled also participate in the Olympics?" My eyes widened!

Can't walk anymore!

At this time, a person who looked like a coach came over and looked at me up and down: "Why are you not good?" "I...I have two prosthetic legs." "Do you know any sports?" "I can get them." That's too much." The coach asked me to do a few moves.

I also asked a lot of questions.

I can’t forget a word he said until now. He said: "As long as you are not afraid of hardship, I think you will be the one who can raise the national flag in the future!" Hearing what he said, my eyes lit up, and I learned later. He is Professor Tian Maijiu, Vice President of Beijing Sport University.

  Just for what Professor Tian said, I once again walked into the door of sports wearing a prosthesis.

The coach helped me choose shot put, discus, and javelin which I am completely unfamiliar with.

The coach started from the slide of the shot put, the rotation of the discus, and the run-up of the javelin. A simple movement. I have to pull the tape every day and do hundreds of imitation exercises. The half-squat barbell 160 kg prosthesis doesn’t work at all. Top with waist.

I also hurt my face when I benched the barbell.

Discus throws more than 100 times a day, and as far as the throw is, you have to pick it up piece by piece.

In winter, the shot put is thrown into the snow, and a piece of skin can be peeled off by picking it back and putting it on the neck.

In this way, in training and competitions year after year, my performance has been continuously improved.

  Discus champion at the Barcelona Paralympic Games

  Beijing News: How did you break the world record at the Barcelona Paralympic Games?

  Liu Yukun: In 1992, I represented the Chinese team in the 9th Paralympic Games held in Barcelona, ​​Spain.

When we participated in the discus event at Montjuic Stadium that day, it was our traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.

I entered the top 6 and ranked 5th.

The final round of the finals began, and the 18-year-old French teenager ranked first with a score of 25.38 meters.

25 meters is a result that I have never had in training for so many years, and it is also a hurdle in my heart.

  I was sitting on the ground, touching my prosthesis, thinking of my training for so many years, and the words the coach said, my mood suddenly calmed down.

I have one last shot left.

I decided to use the technique of discus rotation.

For this technique and training for these years, I tied the discus to my hand every day, and turned around hundreds of times in the circle. When it turned better, I would be two or three meters farther than the original place. If I didn’t turn well, I would fall. I have never dared to use the spinning technique of discus.

I said to myself: "Go ahead! Fight!" I jumped up from the ground, picked a red discus symbolizing auspiciousness, and yelled into the throwing circle.

  Beijing News: What was your mood to learn that you broke the world record?

  Liu Yukun: Swinging and rotating, the discus flew out of my hand with a whistling sound, but I didn't see my results on the screen for a long time.

I saw the referees running around on the field and couldn't understand what they were talking about.

Hey, "I was the one who fouled? But when I was turning just now, it seemed that the referee raised the white flag. The results should be valid! What's wrong?" Suddenly heard China Yukun Liu on the radio, I looked up and couldn't believe it. Rubbing my eyes, it is true, 25.96 meters, I broke the world record and won the gold medal!

I sat on the ground and cried, and my cry was the cheers of China and China.

Standing on the high podium, watching the five-star red flag rising, tears flowed into my mouth. The taste was bitter, salty, spicy, and sweet.

  Lead a volunteer team to prepare for the Winter Olympics

  Beijing News: What have you done after retiring?

  Liu Yukun: I have represented the national team in the domestic and international arenas for 32 years. I have won 22 gold medals in major competitions at home and abroad, and broke the world record 6 times. I have all gold medals in the three events of discus, shot put and javelin.

After retiring, I devoted myself to volunteer activities. In 2008, as an Olympic torchbearer, I felt the professional service of volunteers in the Bird's Nest.

I think, even though I can't get into the battle personally, let's be a volunteer to serve the athletes!

Because I can't do without this arena that I have loved all my life.

Having been associated with sports for so many years, I have personally experienced the process of my motherland turning from a sports power to a sports power.

Recall that since I became a volunteer in 2008, whether it was the annual North Horse, cross-country marathon, or the 20-kilometer hike on Yanqing Wild Duck Lake during the Winter Olympics.

I grew from an ordinary volunteer to the first batch of five-star volunteers in Beijing.

  Beijing News: How do you promote the Olympics in your usual work?

  Liu Yukun: In order to welcome the 2022 Winter Olympics, I joined the Winter Olympics propaganda team and responded to the government’s call for "millions of people on ice and snow" to form a dry-field curling volunteer team to promote and promote the "ground pot ball". Experience activity.

It is hoped that through the promotion of this popular sport among the masses, the masses’ awareness of ice and snow sports will be improved, more people will be attracted to participate in ice and snow sports, and the community's enthusiasm for participating in winter sports will be stimulated.

In 2019, I established the "Liu Yukun Volunteer Service Team".

  I am 62 years old this year. My biggest wish now is to be the torchbearer of the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, lead my team to serve the Winter Olympics, and watch more Chinese athletes win gold medals and get five stars. The red flag is flying high on the stadium of the Winter Olympics!

  Beijing News reporter Wu Wei and intern Li Ziyi