LI YANTAN, 14, didn’t expect to win in an event she’d never practiced before, just as she didn’t expect to go from being an ordinary rural schoolgirl to an elite athlete.

Li, who won the women’s speed event (random route) at China’s first Student (Youth) Games in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Nov. 10, said her success was surprising.

“I didn’t think about winning the title, I was very nervous before the competition,” she said.

Sport climbing, an emerging sport that first featured at the Olympic Games just two years ago, consisted of speed, speed (random route), and combined sections at the Student (Youth) Games, with the combined including bouldering and lead.

As an excellent competitor in the combined, Li did not receive any training for the speed race.

“I am a combined player, but in the speed (random route), I entered the knockout stage, so I continued the competition, but this gold medal is unexpected,” said Li, who has been training for five years.

Li took up the sport in 2017 when it was introduced into Guling Town Junior High School where the sport climbing of the 2023 Student (Youth) Games is held, and it is also Li’s school.

Just as she quickly adapted to the speed event she was unfamiliar with, the rural girl soon showed her potential to be an excellent climber.

She has a full schedule every day. After school hours, Li needs to juggle regular training and take care of her younger brother and sick grandmother as her father passed away and her mother works outside the town.

No matter how many difficulties there are, Li is always smiling. In 2023, she won the “Good Teenager in New Era” award in Guangxi.

“I was probably given this award because of what I’ve done in my life and sports,” Li commented.

For Li, sport climbing means that there is one more choice in life, helping her endure challenges with persistence and tenacity.

Two years ago, Li was selected for the national junior training team and has won several national competitions.

“When I first learned about climbing, I thought it was simply for fun, but as time passed, I became increasingly intrigued,” said Li.

“I intend to stay on the sport climbing road for years to come,” she added.

(Xinhua)