Former wushu athlete Thuy Hien: Only after retiring did I understand the value of medals

Wushu athlete Nguyen Thuy Hien challenged herself at the age of 45 when participating in "Beautiful Sister Riding the Wind" 2024. She started her martial arts career at the age of 12, soon becoming a potential seed of Vietnamese wushu in the 90s and early 2000s, and was nicknamed "wushu queen" by the public. In 1993, she became the first Vietnamese person to win a Gold Medal at the World Wushu Championship at the age of 14.

Thuy Hien's beauty at the age of 45. Photo: Character provided

Former athlete Thuy Hien had a conversation with reporters to look back on her journey and her image at "Beautiful Sister Riding the Wind" 2024.

Thuy Hien was once an excellent athlete, awarded the First, Second and Third Class Labor Medals. Does the past of a wushu golden girl help you position your name and position in " Beautiful Sister Riding the Wind "?

- I don't think I have many strengths when participating in the program. In the first performance, I received the Performance category, but it's not my forte. I try to convey emotions to the audience even though I'm not a professional singer.

I did not join the program to confirm my name. I want to explore myself, can I do anything other than martial arts. From there, my life will be more romantic and interesting. I do not intend to prove to anyone about my achievements, but want to convey a positive message to women, so that everyone has a different perspective on depression.

I went through a long period of depression, which took a long time to treat. My family and relatives helped me overcome that difficult period. I came to "Beautiful Sister Riding the Wind" to inspire, to hope that those who are going through the same period as me will have the motivation to overcome the disease.

Thuy Hien on stage of “Beautiful Sister Riding the Wind”. Photo: Producer

How did you overcome depression?

- Nowadays, depression is no longer strange, it can happen to anyone. For those who have not experienced it, they will find it difficult to understand. When they first get depression, family members also do not have an idea about the disease. Being listened to and sharing properly is very important for people with depression.

At that time, my negative emotions such as sadness, disappointment, pain... multiplied many times. I felt that my desires, hopes, and passions of the past were no longer meaningful. The difficulties I had experienced, from divorce to raising a child alone, were nothing to me.

After many ups and downs, I am better, my health is balanced. Many people compliment me on my youthful beauty, but I don't have any special secret. I exercise regularly every day, even on sick days or during periods of depression.

After a journey of many ups and downs, overcoming depression, Thuy Hien is still young and beautiful after all these years away from sports. What does the glory of her peak competition time mean to her now?

- When I was young, I did not understand the meaning of the word glory. But now, I understand the value of medals, awards, and certificates of merit. Not only the spiritual value but also the recognition of the State and the public. When I have children, I can tell my story to encourage them to pursue their passion and devote themselves.

What was the reason you decided to join the "Beautiful Sister Riding the Wind Season 2" competition? Did you imagine the scenario where you - a former wushu athlete - would have to "compete" with famous singers like Minh Hang, Toc Tien... And possibly be eliminated early?

- I have many reasons for participating in “Beautiful Sister Riding the Wind”. When I accepted the invitation from the program, I also shared that I had been depressed for a long time. My children, family, and friends all encouraged me, hoping that I would reappear, become happy, active, and let young audiences know me more. Perhaps only many audiences born in the 90s and earlier know me, so everyone around me also expected me to participate in the program and bring performances full of martial arts.

When I accepted the offer, I didn’t know much about the faces in the entertainment industry. Meanwhile, my children knew more. My children said this program was very good, very meaningful and received a lot of attention. They wanted the image of Thuy Hien from the past to return.

After retiring from competition, I received invitations from many programs but refused because at that time I did not want to appear in public. When my health was more stable, my children were older, and I had support from my family, I decided to take off the psychological shell that had bound me for so long and bring positive things.

In the first episodes, the audience could see that the golden girl of wushu did not seem to be feeling well when she appeared. She had a sore leg in episode 1, and in episode 3, when she returned to the dormitory, she hurriedly went to... lie down. What happened to Thuy Hien?

- My colleagues entered the program and then started to ride the wind and waves, but I was "trampled by the wind" before I started. Being injured was a sad thing for me. After the solo round, I felt that the injury was a blessing because I was taken care of and loved by the people around me. I was afraid of bothering everyone, but in fact the crew and the beautiful ladies did not mind when they saw my leg hurt. I was no longer self-conscious because of the injury, I had more motivation and determination to do well in the solo round, to respond to everyone's love. When performing, I was in a lot of pain but tried my best not to let down those who loved me.

Besides health issues, what did Thuy Hien prepare for herself when participating in a singing and dancing competition like "Beautiful Sister Riding the Wind"?

- I didn't prepare much because I got injured 2 months before filming. I planned to learn to dance, sing, and perform, but when my leg hurt, I couldn't do anything. I could only wait for my leg to get better so I could move and practice for the solo stage. When performing, I had to put a leg brace up to my knee to avoid getting too excited and doing different movements, which could easily cause more serious injury. But when I put a leg brace on, I couldn't move my leg.

In the behind-the-scenes videos, we can see the affection and attachment between Thuy Hien and singer Thu Phuong. How is life in your dormitory?

- I was arranged to sleep on the bottom, coincidentally next to Ms. Phuong’s bed. Ms. Thu Phuong and I performed together many times when we were young, often collaborating in shows for children. At that time, I was not married, and admired Ms. Phuong very much. When we met again at “The Beautiful Sister Who Rides the Wind”, Ms. Phuong was surprised to see me injured. But she immediately changed her expression and encouraged me to “turn defeat into victory”, to overcome the misfortunes.

My personality does not integrate as quickly as the young people. My legs hurt so when I entered the shared house, I could only lie down. When I watched the shared house life in videos online, I saw that there were two very different areas. The young people's side was very happy, very noisy and vibrant, while the side where Thu Phuong and I were living was quieter and more gentle. The space in the middle was where people interacted, but I could not participate in too many activities due to health problems.

Thuy Hien's performance at Show 1 "Beautiful Sister Riding the Wind". Photo: Producer

What do you think you will gain from participating in a singing contest like "Beautiful Sister Riding the Wind"?

- I was touched when I met the experienced seniors whom I admired since I was young. I used to watch their performances a lot and they were the ones who taught me about singing. It was a good opportunity for us to interact with each other.

I think not only me but everyone else is “shocked” by the high intensity of training. Because we are close and affectionate with each other, everyone feels that the sacrifice is worth it. Living and training together, we see the moments of fatigue, pressure, and injury. We love each other more because we have gone through the high intensity training days together. We are like a big family.

Actually, when I watched “Beautiful Sister Walking the Wind” season 1 or “Brother Overcoming a Thousand Challenges”, I thought everyone was sentimental, sensitive and quick to cry. But when I joined, I found that I was just as sentimental as them. I think the other beautiful sisters felt the same way. The training intensity was harsh and I only had a few days from receiving the song to rehearsal. Professional singers catch on quickly, but I didn’t even know many songs by heart. I had to remember the melody, the lyrics, and the choreography. That was very difficult for me. I even had to memorize the song while doing housework. I listened to music while washing dishes, sweeping the floor, and whenever I had free time to remember it well.

Participating in the program is like “stepping on the wind”, because everything is not easy, not rosy. I think that when we have to do everything properly in a short time, it is also an interesting and emotional experience. Everyone tries harder, not only for themselves but also for their teammates - who have different strengths - and bring good performances. Therefore, there are beautiful ladies who shed tears when they finish their performance.

Never think you are out of date, what do you think about this saying?

- Even though it's over, if you accept it naturally, it's still a positive thing. I can't fly like I used to, but I can still bring the spirit of sports. Whether it's over or not depends on each person's perspective.

When I'm out of date, the young people will shine, or when the seniors are out of date, then I can become the world champion.

It is important to stabilize emotions through each stage of life. And always see the beauty in the journey you have gone through, to live more beautifully in the days to come.

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