Three days before my 18th birthday, I received my most precious birthday present - a gold medal in the snowboard ski jumping event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
But 10 years ago, the kid who won the gold medal once said that he would never be a snowboarder, "I don't want to hear the word skiing anymore. If it's a hobby, I want to play every day; if I'm a professional, I want to play every day. Practice, I think I will be very tired."
Yes, the Internet does have a memory.
To be honest, if I knew what the future of skiing meant to me, or if I knew that in 10 years, this immature speech would be watched over and over again by netizens, I swear I would definitely reconsider.
10 years ago, when I was young, I didn't even realize that my love for snowboarding was etched in my heart from the very beginning, and I will love the sport for the rest of my life.
I was born in the Northeast, Jilin City, Jilin Province, and my parents are snowboarders.
When I was 4, they started skiing with me and I soon surpassed them.
When I was 6 years old, I suffered a broken thigh in an accident on a snowfield.
I was just a child at the time, I just felt the pain and didn’t think too much about it.
After waking up in the hospital bed, I remember the first thing my mother said to me was, "Honey, we can't give up skiing".
I know that my parents are not asking me to achieve much, but they do not want me to develop the habit of giving up easily because of this.
Of course, they also know that I really love snowboarding, and suffering and injuries are things that athletes must experience.
When I get hurt, they will be distressed, but they will also give me the greatest respect and support for my choices.
It is said that parents are the first teachers in a child's life. When it comes to the love and dedication to snowboarding, parents are my best teachers.
When I was 8 years old, the crew of the movie "Taking Tiger Mountain by Outwitness" invited me to play the role of "Little Shuozi" because I could ski.
Unexpectedly, he was nominated for the Best Newcomer Award at the 35th Hong Kong Film Awards.
After that, I had the idea of becoming a professional actor.
However, a year after the film was released, Beijing successfully bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.
When I was in front of the TV and saw that scene, a picture suddenly popped into my mind: I was standing on the podium wearing a five-star red flag.
That was also the moment I most envied the award-winning athletes every time I watched the Olympics.
So I said to my mother, "I want to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics, I want to be an Olympic champion".
My parents encouraged me that only love can have passion, and this kind of love will stimulate the great potential of the individual.
After the Winter Olympics, many people called me a "genius boy".
But what I want to tell you is that sports do need talent, but talent alone is not enough.
If you want to become a top professional athlete, you must have the most professional training and the most hard training.
Is the power of love really that great?
The answer is yes, all persistence in the world is because of love.
I've been through so many injuries and failures, and I don't know how long I'd last without that love for skiing.
"Love is worth the years." The day-to-day training seems hard and boring, but the dedication to love in my heart makes me never feel that this is a torment, but I enjoy it very much.
It is also that love that made me meet Coach Yasuhiro Sato, made me stand on the podium with my idol, and made me receive the best coming-of-age ceremony in the world on my 18th birthday.
There are many choices in life, and every choice stems from love.
Love is the energy that pushes you to know the world and learn to believe in yourself firmly.
Effort will always give you the answer, and dreams are the highest expression of love and talent in this life.
As an ice and snow athlete, I have experienced the development of ice and snow sports in my country over the years.
The successful holding of the Beijing Winter Olympics is a testimony to this development.
The biggest difference between ice and snow sports and other sports is that it relies more on challenging natural conditions.
The movement itself is also more challenging. It inspires people to face difficulties and be proactive.
I think that's why I love the sport.
I really hope that I can pass on my love for skiing to everyone.
As the "Olympic Charter" says: "Olympism is a philosophy of life that is a balanced combination of physical, mental and spiritual qualities to improve them." Sportsmanship comes from a kind of love, this kind of Love is to love yourself, love your family, love your friends, love the world, and love the entire human race.
I also want to propose to young people like me all over the world: find your love, follow it, insist on it, spread it, let sportsmanship become an extension of this love, and pass the power of love to all mankind through sportsmanship .
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Su Yiming (Chinese snowboarder, Olympic champion) Source: China Youth Daily