Effort to reach the 5km finish line of a girl with a mobility disability
When the line of athletes ran past the starting line, Truong Thi Thuy Ngan, born in 1991, slowly walked away. Wearing the tournament's neon green yellow shirt, his body was completely wet from the rain, his steps were wobbly, his toes pressed together. Her arms were almost stiff and hanging, unable to swing hands naturally. Movement speed is only half the walking speed of a normal person.
Thuy Ngan has had motor disabilities since childhood. The doctor diagnosed her with spastic cerebral palsy. This condition prevents the normal development of motor function, causing the body to continuously move jerky, muscle tension and joint stiffness, and lack of flexibility.
The girl from Hai Duong said she had never walked more than one kilometer because she was very tired. If she has to travel long distances, she uses a three-wheeled electric vehicle. This is the first time she accepted a personal challenge when trying to complete the 5km distance at MetaSports Marathon Ha Long 2023.
In the pouring rain at 5 o'clock, Ngan kept moving slowly, little by little moving forward. Next to her is her older sister, constantly encouraging and encouraging her spirit. Her sister also taught Ngan how to breathe and how to move without wasting energy. Whenever they were too tired, the two sisters stopped to rest. Wherever he went on the race track, Ngan received cheers and applause from the runners. Many people call her "warrior" and "extraordinary". After 1 hour and 45 minutes, Thuy Ngan reached the finish line. She smiled with satisfaction when she did something she had never thought of before.
"The run was much longer than I imagined. My legs hurt a lot but I'm happy to be able to do what I want. I'm also grateful to receive so many cheers from everyone," said the runner from Hai Duong.
The achievement of 1 hour and 45 minutes exceeded the prescribed time by 30 minutes, but the organizers of MetaSports Marathon Amazing Ha Long still specially awarded the 32-year-old runner a medal to commemorate a memorable milestone on the journey. The female runner said she was proud and considered this medal a special gift that helped her gain more confidence and motivation.
Thuy Ngan is a teacher of disabled children at the Nang Mai Inclusive Education Development Support Center (Hai Duong). Having had a mobility disability since childhood, she understands the difficulties of children in living and integrating into the community. Over the past time, female teachers have always tried their best to help students be confident and have better opportunities for development. Participating in jogging at the request of a friend, according to her, is a way to help motivate and inspire people with disabilities, especially children, to have more confidence in themselves and life.
Thirty years of living with spastic cerebral palsy, Ngan has recently become more interested in nutrition and health. In middle school, the female teacher had surgery once to improve her condition, but due to lack of exercise, her tendons became stiff again. Recently, the girl born in 1991 participated in nutrition and exercise classes. Outside of teaching hours, Ngan practices yoga to make her body more flexible.
"My wish is that one day I can be a coach to take care of the health of many people. I want to bring positivity, love and an active lifestyle to the whole community," the female teacher said. the.
After MetaSports Marathon Ha Long, Truong Thi Thuy Ngan said she loves sports and the values that running brings even more. She also wants to continue to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and the feeling of being among thousands of people. "Hopefully next time I can finish on time," she said.
