Athlete Experience – Creative Résumé

Renzhe's Athlete Experience

I started training in discus throwing in 2012 and have never stopped ever since. Over the past 12 plus years, I once claimed the national championship, bathing in the glorious limelight. There were also times when I felt extremely downhearted just because I failed to make it to the final. Whatever have happed, it is precisely these experiences of being honed and tempered that have made me tenacious and confident.

childhood

When I was a little kid, I was in really poor health. I was constantly falling prey to colds and bouts of fever. Concerned about my well-being, my parents introduced me to a variety of sports when I was around five years old. By a stroke of good luck, my physical condition improved dramatically. At the same time, this exposure to sports ignited a deep passion for athletics within me.

I vividly remember those childhood days when I would go swimming, dancing, Taekwondo, or rollerblading every week. During the winter months, I often went skiing as well. I firmly believe that these sports laid a solid foundation for my physical fitness and body coordination, which have been invaluable assets in my journey as an athlete.

Beginning

When I was in the third grade of primary school, I joined the school’s track and field team. After one year of training, I became the fastest – running girl in the team. Subsequently, I started to participate in some small – scale track and field meets. By the fifth grade, a retired discus thrower from the national team came to our school. (He is the person in the video behind.) He had just joined Haidian Experimental Primary School at that time and hoped to cultivate some outstanding young athletes to prove his teaching capabilities. (The PE teachers in our primary school were responsible for both PE classes and the daily training of various school sports teams.) Coincidentally, the two of us “hit it off immediately”.

He thought that I was more suitable for throwing events rather than sprinting. At that time, I thought he resembled Winnie – the – Pooh and seemed to be a very kind – hearted coach. However, after I officially became his team member, he turned out to be extremely strict. I often complained back then, but now I am extremely grateful to him. Because under his systematic training, I broke the girls’ discus record in the Beijing Primary School Students’ Track and Field Games at that time. Moreover, it laid a very solid foundation for my subsequent further training. This was the beginning of my “discus – throwing journey”. My first – ever coach, Wang Chao, and I have become very good friends up to now.

Competitions

After graduating from primary school, Wang Chao recommended me to the Haidian Sports School, where I got to know Coach Su– Su Jingtao. For the next 10 years, I trained under Coach Su and won numerous championships.

After being admitted to Beijing No.101 Middle School, I had more opportunities to participate in national competitions. In these competitions, I constantly pushed myself beyond my limits, which not only helped me build a strong physique but also cultivated my unwavering perseverance.

The period from 2020 to 2023 was the toughest three years. The pandemic confined us at home. After the end of the first lockdown, my performance plummeted. The training venues I used to practice at were completely sealed off. So, we could only go to the woods or parks in the suburbs of Beijing for training every weekend. Fortunately, Coach Su never gave up on the training of our entire throwing team. During this time, he contacted many sports venues. Through complicated application procedures, he strived for better training conditions for us.

My Coach -- Su

Coach Sue is a big influence on me. His expertise is beyond doubt. The junior athletes of our team almost sweep the national competitions every year in throwing events. He is a tough, decisive, passionate and highly responsible coach. In the 10 years I have known him, he has studied throwing events, including shot put, discus, javelin and hammer throw. He is constantly updating his skills in throwing. You can see the video of me throwing the discus at different times below to feel my technique changes. Coach Sue has been helping me find the best technique for me.
Coach Su taught me some ideas that made me decide to study abroad. He always said we can’t rest on our lauds and what we’ve achieved. We should have our own pursuit. When I was a junior, I had a profound conversation with Miss Su about the choice of postgraduate. Miss Su first firmly encouraged me to continue my studies. He always believed that people who wanted to be good at sports could not give up their studies. After I told him that I wanted to study abroad, after a long and serious discussion, he thought that this was an opportunity for me to further improve myself