Shanghai athlete Zhang Liangmin defended her title in the women's discus throw F11 category at the Paris Paralympic Games on Sept 3. It was Zhang's fourth consecutive gold medal in the event.

"Every time Liangliang competes, we are extremely nervous and can't bear to watch the live broadcast," said Zhang's mother, Ju Fangying, in an interview, referring to her daughter's childhood name. 

Zhang was born visually impaired. Including the character "Liang", which means "light" in Chinese, in her name was a symbol of hope that her daughter's life would be bright despite her blindness, Ju said.

Zhang had a passion for singing from a young age, and in her early teens, she achieved second place in a national music competition and aspired to become a singer.

However, before turning 16, another stage beckoned her. Talent scouts from the Shanghai Disabled Persons' Sports Training Center identified Zhang Liangmin as a promising athlete, persuading her to join their training program. Moved by the sincerity of the coach, Zhang decided to give it a try and rapidly adjusted to the pace of track and field.

The coach's intuition proved correct.

At the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, Zhang won the silver medal in the discus throw event. In the 2012 London Paralympic Games, where the F11 category (near-total visual impairment) was introduced, she claimed the gold in discus throw and the bronze in shot put. She defended her discus throw title at the 2016 Rio Games and the 2020 Tokyo Games.

"During Liangliang's preparation for the Paris Games, I underwent surgery and was hospitalized due to pancreatic disease. She took leave from the team to come home and care for me," Ju said.

"Given the intensity of her training, I was worried about her health and persuaded her to retire. However, she insisted that the sport has become a part of her life and she will continue to train," said Ju.

Source: Shanghai Observer