Source:REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
[Saba Sports News] At the Paris Paralympics, Chinese athlete Cheng Hefang won the SL4 women’s singles badminton championship, successfully defending her title. After the match, Cheng Hefang frequently mentioned dreams during media interviews; she stated that her 16-year journey in sports has made her confident and open despite her congenital disability. Cheng Hefang suffers from congenital left hip dislocation, with a leg length difference of 7.5 centimeters. In daily training, she practices swinging her racket and footwork in the morning and engages in physical training such as front-back jumps, V-jumps, half squats, and full squats in the afternoon. The intensity of all-day training takes a toll on her body. The already misaligned hip joint experiences increased friction during training, leading to more severe periosteal strain. When pain becomes intense, Cheng Hefang sometimes cries secretly at night, but she has never considered giving up and continues to jump and run on the court. Due to congenital hip dislocation causing muscle atrophy in her left leg, she must ensure strength in her right leg while also developing muscle strength in her left leg during training. Through day-to-day training, her long-atrophied muscles gradually gained strength. Ultimately, she moved closer to her goal and reached the “most dazzling position” at the Paralympic Games.