Kicking for gold to inspire next generation

Every morning, Ma Yinghu starts his day with a 5-kilometer run.

Since he began training in para taekwondo in 2018, the 30-year-old athlete from Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture, Gansu province, has dedicated 11 months to training each year, a routine he has maintained for eight years.

At the 12th Gansu Provincial Games for Persons with Disabilities in September, Ma claimed three gold medals across two sports, the 400m and 800m in athletics, and the 58-kg para taekwondo event, as well as silver in the long jump.

For Ma, success means showing up every day and pushing through challenges.

At age 6, Ma lost his arms after a truck accident, leaving him with no left arm and an above-elbow stump on the right. Growing up in Dongxiang county, he played with friends and ran along village paths, learning to navigate daily life with a disability.

"I was young, and I didn't really think much about it," he said. "I played with my little friends, and we got along well."

His path into sports kicked off in 2014, when he went to the local disabled persons' federation to apply for a disability certificate. Staff members noticed his athletic potential and encouraged him to pursue competitive sports, an opportunity he readily accepted.

After about a month of intensive training, he won gold in both the 100m and 200m events at the ninth Gansu Provincial Games for Persons with Disabilities.

In 2018, Ma joined the provincial team and switched from athletics to para taekwondo, which had been added to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games program three years earlier, offering him a new path in competitive sport.

Unlike running, para taekwondo required flexibility, balance and precise control. After his morning runs, Ma worked on his leg control and core strength to improve his movement in the ring. His coaches adapted his training to his physical condition, refining his stance and defensive techniques. "I do extra core exercises and planks after I finish my daily training. At first, I could hold a one-arm plank for only about 30 seconds. Now I can manage more than a minute," he said. "You build strength step by step."

The effort soon paid off. After about three months of training, he placed third at a national para taekwondo competition, the first of its kind to be held in China, marking an early milestone in his career in the sport.

In 2021, he won the men's K42 61-kg title at the 11th National Games for Persons with Disabilities, securing Gansu's first gold medal in para taekwondo at the event.

"At that moment, I felt that all the hard work I'd put into training had paid off," he said.

Ma said maintaining a positive mindset is key to overcoming challenges in sport and daily life.

"I try to face everything with a smile rather than become discouraged," he said. He hopes people will see him as a positive person, rather than define him solely by his status as a para athlete.

Away from training, Ma has learned to manage daily tasks in his own way, using his remaining limbs to operate a phone and complete routine activities.

He hopes to share the practical skills he has learned with children facing similar challenges.

Now a father to a young boy, Ma feels a greater sense of responsibility. "I want to keep working hard and competing, and take good care of my family," he said.

His family lives in Dongxiang, a roughly two-hour drive from the sports school where he trains. They keep in touch through video calls, and he usually returns home every two or three months.

"I can't go home too often because training requires consistency. If you take time away, you risk losing the progress you've made," Ma said.

At 30, Ma is still chasing his dream of competing on the world stage. For him, youth is defined not only by age, but also by the courage to pursue a goal and the determination to keep going. "Talent matters, but you also have to work hard and persevere," he added.