The man with an unbreakable olympic spirit. This is his story -My name is Hou Bin, I'm 33-years-old this year.
When I was nine, I lost my left leg in an accident, and have since mostly used a wheelchair to get around. My tell myself to "keep going" everyday, to not succumb to the fear of my disability.
My history with athletics began about 15 years ago; I'd say that's when my relationship with the Olympics first started. I really like the feeling I get when I'm in mid-air, like I'm flying. This is why I decided to practice the high jump, so that I could enjoy that feeling. But not only did I want to participate in this event, I also wanted to stand on that top podium during the Paralympics Games. My dream has come true. I took the gold in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Paralympic Games in the F42 high jump event and was chosen as the first International Paralympic Committee Ambassador, as well as a torchbearer for the 2008 Beijing Games.
The road to the Olympics was quite difficult, and along the way, I met with many frustrating obstacles; success was achieved through suffering some pain and doing a lot of hard work. I remember when I first started training, there were no specialty centers for people with disabilities, so I trained with fully able-bodied athletes. Some days in winters, Dongbei can reach 20 degrees below zero. For those other athletes, bicycling to work was difficult, but imagine how much more difficult it was for me! After the other children finished their homework, they were allowed to have free time to do what they wanted; not me, night after night, with only my parents' company, I would have to continue to practice. My prosthetic leg has become detached to my body numerous times, and because of it, I've also experienced physical hurt; once when I was on a train, I tripped and bumped my head. Afraid to lose face, I refused any sort of drugs, biting my lips through the pain. I've also cried much, and had instances when tears would just stream down my face…so many difficulties, but not once did I consider giving up.
Sure, I had one appendage less than my classmates in school, but that didn't stop me from being the highest and longest jumper or the fastest runner. I was a happy person, and took advantage of life more than full-bodied people. I was the first athlete with a disability to enter university in China, graduating from Harbin Institute of Physical Education in 1999. When I lived in Xiamen, I worked part-time to support my part-time schooling at Xiamen University. I have also been in commercials, acted in films, presided over ceremonies…my singing and painting aren't bad, either. All of my hard work started to pay off in 1994, from my participation in an international competition where I took the title in the F42 high jump event. In August of 1996, I claimed China's first goal in the Paralympics for the high jump, and defended my title in the 2000 Sydney Games and the 2004 Athens Games.
I was very honored to have been selected as a torchbearer for the Beijing Olympic Games. When I won the awards for my event in previous Olympic Games, people of the world could experience the spirit of the Chinese national flag. When I carried the Olympic torch in Xiamen in May, it was to spread the Olympic spirit. Those 200 meters were the most memorable in my life.
I have so much to do now. Before, so many people helped me; now, it's my turn to help others. I want to spread the Paralympic spirit, to help people to better understand those with disabilities, because you don't have to be an Olympic gold medalist to be special.
