“When I watched Dangal with Chinese subtitles a few years ago, I noticed an uncanny resemblance between the wrestlers’ father and mine,” says Chen Shih-hsin, Taiwan’s first Olympic gold medalist.
Chen won gold in the women’s flyweight division (49 kilogram category) in Taekwondo at the 2004 Athens Olympics, ending a 72-year gold medal drought for Taiwan. Despite being an autonomous democracy with its own constitution and legislature, Taiwan competes in the Olympics under the fictitious name “Chinese Taipei” – it is not part of China nor is it made up solely of the city of Taipei (which is one of 23 cities in the island nation). .
“My father was a tough taskmaster, much like the father portrayed in the film. I feel like he was even tougher on me,” says Chen as he teaches about 100 children at his Taekwondo school in the rural county of Xinfeng, near the center of Taiwanese semiconductors. , Hsinchu.
“Yes, you could call me a chip off the old block when it comes to inheriting my father’s courage and resilience, similar to the characters in Dangal,” admits Chen, whose life story is full of dramatic and emotional twists and turns.
She is half Aboriginal, as her mother is from the Atayal indigenous community of Taiwan. Her father, Chen Wei-hsiung, ran a Taekwondo training center in Taipei and introduced her to martial arts at the age of five. At the age of 15, Chen had already made her mark on the world stage by winning her World Cup debut in the Cayman Islands in 1994. Two years later, she secured her second world title in Brazil.
However, his career took an unexpected turn shortly after. “I used to despise my father’s relentless pressure. One day, at 18, I argued with him and ran away from home,” reveals Chen, recalling her transformation from world champion to a “betel nut beauty” – a term for someone who is half naked. young women selling betel nuts at kiosks across Taiwan.
After leaving his family and Taekwondo, Chen survived by selling betel nuts and other products in Taichung. “I felt like a rebel, just like the girl in the Bollywood movie who rebelled after joining the national team. But contrary to his outspoken defiance, I simply walked away,” says Chen.
Three years later, a poignant line in a radio ad about a son unable to care for his elderly parents on their birthday prompted her to return home. Upon reuniting with her father, she committed to resuming training and pursuing her Olympic dream together. However, the three lost years cost him the opportunity to compete at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where Taekwondo debuted as an Olympic medal sport.
“Being alone for these three years strengthened me, helping me deal with the disappointment of missing the Sydney Games,” explains Chen.
His indomitable spirit and his father’s unwavering support fueled his arduous preparation for the next four years. “When I arrived in Athens, my biggest opponent was myself, and not my rivals from Cuba, Nepal, Canada or Nicaragua”, she reflects.
“Olympic gold was our shared dream.” Chen continues, “Opening a Taekwondo gym and running it for decades was as much my father’s goal as it was mine. His ultimate goal was to bring an Olympic gold medal to the gym.”
On August 26, Chen made history by defeating Cuban opponent Yanelis Labrada to win the first gold medal for her “invisible” nation, for herself and, most importantly, for her father.
“Over the years, I have fought countless matches, shed many tears and accumulated countless injuries. That final match in Athens was worth it,” she expresses.
At age 25, Chen decided to retire. “The last twenty years have been challenging, but I have been fortunate to avoid serious injuries thanks to my father’s meticulous training,” she notes.
Despite achieving his Olympic dream, Chen’s life continued to resemble an exciting movie script. She earned a doctorate in sports psychology, landed an associate professor position at a major university, and started a family with two children. However, personal turmoil struck again.
An alleged extramarital affair with a fellow coach tarnished her reputation, forcing her to resign her position at the university, leave her home and relinquish custody of her daughter to her ex-husband. Even so, Chen rose from the ashes, moving to Xinfeng with his son.
Today, Chen teaches Taekwondo to local children in his own dojang, away from the public eye and the hustle and bustle of Taipei. Although her Athens Olympics gold medalist resides at her father’s house, she now dreams of winning a gold medal at her Taekwondo school.
(Suvam Pal works for Taipei-based news channel TaiwanPlus)
This story originally appeared on Ndtv.com read the full story
