This is truly an

inspirational story

of how you should not

give up hope

The Amazing Story of Qian Hongyan The Amazing Story of Qian Hongyan – – The Basketball GirlThe Basketball Girl

Presentation by : www.the-amazing-one.blogspot.comSource of story : bbc news, woman of china, and various source

Qian Qian Hongyan Hongyan lost both lost both

her legs in her legs in an accident an accident

at only at only three years three years old in 2000. old in 2000.

Qian Qian Hongyan had Hongyan had to have her to have her legs legs removed removed after a car after a car accident, but accident, but has has managed to managed to find a new find a new way of way of moving moving around. around.

Her family Her family in China are in China are poor and poor and couldn't couldn't afford false afford false legs, so she legs, so she uses a uses a basketball basketball to help her to help her move. move.

Hongyan used Hongyan used brushes as low-brushes as low-level crutches. level crutches. She was able to She was able to travel to and travel to and from home and from home and school by school by bouncing on bouncing on the basketball. the basketball.

Eight-year-Eight-year-old Qian old Qian doesn't doesn't always need always need her her basketball basketball to get to get around around though, as though, as her dad her dad helps her helps her sometimes. sometimes.

Qian uses two Qian uses two wooden props wooden props to drag herself, to drag herself, and never and never complains, complains, even though even though she has worn she has worn through six through six basketballs. basketballs.

She has She has even been even been dragging dragging herself to herself to school school every day, every day, but all that but all that may be may be about to about to change... change...

Doctors in Doctors in China have China have promised to promised to make her make her some artificial some artificial limbs, and limbs, and she's going to she's going to be given a be given a wheelchair wheelchair until then. until then.

Five years Five years later, later, doctors doctors were finally were finally been able been able to give her to give her prosthetic prosthetic legs. legs.

Qian Qian Hongyan Hongyan instructor instructor help her to help her to walk with walk with prostetic prostetic legslegs

The seventh The seventh national special national special sports-meeting sports-meeting was held in was held in Kunming in May Kunming in May 2007. Qian 2007. Qian Hongyan went to Hongyan went to watch the games watch the games every day and every day and seeing the seeing the handicapped handicapped players struggle players struggle in the matches in the matches deeply moved deeply moved her. her.

After the sports After the sports meeting, Qian meeting, Qian Hongyan was Hongyan was determined to determined to join in the special join in the special swimming club. swimming club. She and her She and her parents went to parents went to consult the consult the opportunity with opportunity with Zhang Honghu, a Zhang Honghu, a well known coach well known coach who has trained who has trained many many handicapped handicapped swimming swimming champions. champions.

After the sports After the sports meeting, Qian meeting, Qian Hongyan was Hongyan was determined to determined to join in the special join in the special swimming club. swimming club. She and her She and her parents went to parents went to consult the consult the opportunity with opportunity with Zhang Honghu, a Zhang Honghu, a well known coach well known coach who has trained who has trained many many handicapped handicapped swimming swimming champions. champions.

Then, Qian Then, Qian Hongyan began Hongyan began her life in the her life in the swimming club swimming club and did and did professional professional swimming swimming training. training. "Qian Hongyan "Qian Hongyan studies hard. She studies hard. She never grouches in never grouches in training although training although she was she was confronted with confronted with many difficulties many difficulties at the beginning, " at the beginning, " her coach said. her coach said.

At first, Zhang At first, Zhang didn't pay much didn't pay much attention to attention to Qian Hongyan. Qian Hongyan. "The "The individual's individual's capability is capability is important in important in choosing a choosing a player," he said. player," he said.

"Qian "Qian Hongyan Hongyan doesn't have doesn't have legs. It seems legs. It seems that a ship that a ship has no a has no a helm, then helm, then the ship could the ship could work well for work well for lack of a lack of a sense of sense of direction."direction."

In order to In order to solve the solve the problem, problem, zhang made zhang made a special a special training plan training plan for Qian for Qian Hongyan to Hongyan to help balance help balance the the shoulders.shoulders.

Qian Hongyan Qian Hongyan swims for swims for about 2000 about 2000 meters in a meters in a day. She day. She always does always does the exercises the exercises and sit-ups, and sit-ups, dumbbells dumbbells and so on and so on carefully. carefully.

After a short After a short period, to period, to Zhang's surprise, Zhang's surprise, he found that he found that Hongyan was Hongyan was gifted in gifted in swimming. Zhang swimming. Zhang said, "Hongyan is said, "Hongyan is a very good a very good swimmer but it swimmer but it would be boring would be boring and take a long and take a long time to train her time to train her and repeat the and repeat the exercises every exercises every day. day.

I couldn't I couldn't ensure she ensure she would be a would be a world world champion. champion. However, I can However, I can tell that she is tell that she is definitely a definitely a promising promising swimmer. Our swimmer. Our biggest wish is biggest wish is to train her to to train her to have a positive have a positive attitude to life." attitude to life."

Qian Hongyan, Qian Hongyan, whose plight whose plight touched millions touched millions of people around of people around the globe, has the globe, has joined a joined a swimming club swimming club and begun and begun training to fulfil training to fulfil her dream of her dream of competing in the competing in the 2012 Paralympics 2012 Paralympics in London. in London.

She may have She may have been forced to been forced to use a use a basketball as a basketball as a prosthetic but prosthetic but that has not that has not stopped her stopped her ambition to ambition to compete on the compete on the sporting sporting world's biggest world's biggest stage. stage.