White jersey conquers the green track

Born in 2008, Nguyen Cuu Trung Kien, an 11th grade English 1 student at Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted, has won more than three times as many medals in swimming competitions as his age. This achievement is the result of his determination, passion and constant efforts.

Passion leads the way

Not many people were surprised when Trung Kien returned from the 10th National Phu Dong Sports Festival with 2 Bronze Medals. Before leaving, almost everyone had faith in Kien's victory. However, few people knew that to achieve such an impressive achievement, Trung Kien had to give his all. From all over the country, many young swimming talents participated in the 10th National Phu Dong Sports Festival. Many of them had broken records in large and small tournaments. Just in terms of training and competition conditions, Kien and the members of the Quang Tri swimming team were hard to compete with their opponents.

Trung Kien took a souvenir photo with his mother after winning 2 Bronze Medals at the 10th National Phu Dong Sports Festival - Photo: TL

Swimming has become an indispensable part of Trung Kien's life - Photo: TL

Talking to reporters, Trung Kien shared that the two medals he brought home this time were gifts for Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted on the occasion of its 30th anniversary and his loved ones, especially Kien's parents. Previously, at the 4th National Phu Dong Sports Festival, Kien's mother - Ms. Vo Thi Hong - currently working at Dong Ha High School, brought home a Bronze Medal. No one else but his mother and father, Mr. Nguyen Cuu Hung, a teacher at Le Loi High School, instilled a love of swimming in their son. Wishing to end the pain of drowning, more than 15 years ago, Trung Kien's parents opened a swimming class for children in the area. Kien and his brother Nguyen Cuu Huy Hung are both students of their parents.

When Trung Kien entered first grade, his parents began to teach him the first swimming movements and techniques. What made them very happy was that Kien was bold in the water and learned the lessons quickly. His physique was also assessed as suitable for swimming. Not disappointing his parents' training and teaching, after only a short time, Trung Kien had mastered the skills in the water environment. Although happy with their son's progress, Kien's parents did not dare to set too high expectations. They determined that swimming is a necessary sport to prevent drowning and improve health. Participating in competitions is a long-term story.

Thinking so, when the tournaments called Trung Kien's name, his parents were a bit hesitant. However, that hesitation did not last long because the two of them clearly felt their son's passion and eagerness to compete. More than anyone, Kien wanted to conquer swimming medals like his mother and brother. That was also the reason that urged him to practice diligently and seriously. Thanks to that, Kien's swimming skills improved day by day.

Medal more than three times the age

At the age of 16, Nguyen Cuu Trung Kien owns a “fortune” that many people dream of. Through swimming competitions, Kien has brought home about 50 medals. Of these, he has 5 medals at national swimming competitions for students. Behind each medal, in addition to his passion for swimming, is Kien’s determination and outstanding efforts.

Compared to other major provinces and cities in the country, swimming training and competition conditions in Quang Tri are still difficult. Due to the harsh weather, each year, Kien and his friends only have a few months to satisfy their passion for swimming. The infrastructure for swimming in the area is still weak and lacking. The dream of an indoor swimming pool that meets standards and quality is always in Kien's mind. Like his friends, Kien does not always have the conditions and the best equipment in terms of costumes, goggles, and high-end, genuine swimming equipment. Therefore, competing with athletes who are invested "to the teeth" is not simple.

However, those difficulties did not discourage Trung Kien. On the contrary, his determination to conquer the green racetrack multiplied. Knowing his disadvantages, Kien always tried to spend as much time as possible practicing and living with passion. Before each tournament, he devoted all his energy to high-intensity exercises. Under the harsh sunlight, Kien's skin changed color in just a few days. There were times when it was freezing cold and rainy, but Kien and his friends still braved the cold to practice. Although sometimes exhausted from the exercises, Kien never stopped loving swimming. He found joy in conquering many swimming styles and swimming events... Every time his training results improved, Kien had more motivation.

That effort soon paid off. As a third grader, in his first national tournament, Trung Kien excelled over his opponents to win a Silver Medal in the 50m breaststroke. Kien's achievement surprised many people. Realizing Trung Kien's potential, some coaches suggested that his parents put him in the gifted team so that he could become a professional athlete in the future, but Kien and his family had other choices.

Balancing passion and study

One of the reasons why Kien did not choose a professional path is because besides swimming, Kien's passion also lies in the pages of books. His parents are teachers, and since childhood, Trung Kien has been taught and deeply aware of the importance of studying. Therefore, Kien soon found joy in the journey of discovering the treasure trove of human knowledge. In addition to studying hard in class, Kien also actively reads books and newspapers; learns from teachers and friends; searches for new knowledge on the Internet... In particular, the subject of English has a great attraction for him. Kien believes that this is the door that leads him to the world.

Between the two passions, Trung Kien determined that he needed to balance studying and swimming. What seemed so easy was actually quite difficult for Kien. Because, the older he got, the more knowledge he needed to acquire from books. Meanwhile, before each season, Kien needed a lot of time to practice and compete. Therefore, Kien had to carefully arrange his study, practice and competition schedule. However, sometimes the schedules still overlapped, making it difficult for him to choose. Kien always kept in mind the saying: "If you learn how to swim underwater, it means you can also swim through the difficulties ahead."

Trung Kien’s efforts to reconcile his two passions were soon rewarded. In addition to winning many medals in swimming, Kien also had impressive academic achievements. Every year, Kien was recognized and rewarded by the school for his excellent academic achievements. He once won third prize in the provincial cultural competition for excellent students in English.

With his efforts, Trung Kien has fulfilled his childhood dream of passing the entrance exam to Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted. At this school, besides studying, Kien is very happy to be given good conditions to participate in sports. Thanks to that, in addition to swimming, he also tried and impressed many other sports such as: badminton, volleyball, basketball, shuttlecock...

Talking to reporters, Trung Kien shared that the results he achieved today are the motivation for him to continue nurturing and harmonizing his passions. Kien believes that no difficulty can stop the passion, determination and efforts of young people. It was his experience in swimming and studying that helped him realize that early.

Tay Long

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/ao-trang-chinh-phuc-duong-dua-xanh-188024.htm