WITH her paddle slicing through the water swiftly, 37-year-old Chinese canoeist Xie Maosan enjoyed a significant lead in the women’s KL1 canoe final and captured the first gold medal of the 4th Asian Para Games on Monday.

Xie finished the 200-meter race in 55.478 seconds, well ahead of nearest rival Monika Seryu of Japan and Iran’s Sara Abdolmaleki.

Born to a rural family in Anhui Province in 1986 and afflicted by Poliomyelitis, Xie couldn’t walk before the age of 10. Throughout her childhood, as she recalled, the cold stares of relatives and mockery from classmates made her more determined to prove herself.

In her teens, with the support and understanding of her mother, Xie decided to master a craft to make a living. She packed up her belongings, went to the county to learn tailoring for three years, and then became a tailor. Later, she went to Shanghai to learn CAD pattern-making.

“Regardless of the career path I choose, I always push myself harder. I want to prove to everyone that we are equally capable,” she shared at the post-race press conference, tears in her eyes.

In 2015, fate beckoned when news reached her of the national team’s search for canoeing talents. Without hesitation, she volunteered, and at 29, she joined the national canoeing team.

Recalling her initial days, Xie said, “Lacking a foundation in sports, it was truly painful for me at the beginning. I capsized and fell into the water multiple times during training. Not knowing how to swim, I almost passed out from choking on water.”

Despite all the hardships, desire to win glory for her country kept Xie going. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Xie finished fifth in the women’s KL1 canoeing final.

Life hasn’t always dealt her a fair hand, yet deep within, fervent ambition blazes.

“As for me, canoeing is a rebirth, as it gave me confidence and a new life,” said Xie.

(Xinhua)