I first met Nguyen Thi Huyen in 2015, at the 28th SEA Games held in Singapore. Eight years ago, the girl from Y Yen district , Nam Dinh province surprised the Vietnamese media with her beautiful, graceful running steps, winning a hat-trick of gold medals in the 400m, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay .
At the age of 22, the parameters of 56 seconds 15 (400m hurdles ), 52 seconds (400m) helped Nguyen Thi Huyen win the " double" of qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics - this is also a historical milestone of Vietnamese athletics that up to now no athlete has achieved.
Going through ups and downs in her career, Nguyen Thi Huyen made many people go from shock to amazement in 2019 .
I don't know what power can help a female athlete who just got married in 2018, take nearly a year off to fulfill her duties as a wife and mother, then return to training and continue to assert her dominant position on the 400m and 400m hurdles track at the 30th SEA Games in the Philippines.
It 's truly a miracle ! Anyone who has ever been passionate about running understands that just taking a week or half a month off from running can make you feel "tense" again ; professional athletes who are injured , taking about half a year off, returning to the track , competition or field... also requires extraordinary willpower and determination, some people never find themselves again .
Yet with her actions, Nguyen Thi Huyen has turned what seemed impossible into possible . And I , too, did not give up, determined to pursue an interview with Nguyen Thi Huyen for nearly 4 years to get a date !
It's not that Huyen is arrogant, on the contrary, she is very simple and rustic . It's simply that my previous appointments were all at the wrong time . Sometimes Huyen was busy practicing , competing or taking the opportunity to visit her family during the short days after each tournament ; other times it was my turn to be busy with work, following domestic sports tournaments.
Before the 32nd SEA Games, although very shy, Huyen had to refuse to be interviewed but had a promise: "After the SEA Games, I will meet you too !".
Yet after Nguyen Thi Huyen won a hat-trick of gold medals (400m hurdles , 4x400m mixed relay , 4x400m relay ) in Cambodia to become the athlete holding the record for winning the most SEA Games gold medals with 13, this appointment still had to be postponed because Huyen was busy going to Taipei, China to compete in an international athletics tournament and continued to win another gold medal in the 400m hurdles .
In the end , the appointment between Dan Viet and Nguyen Thi Huyen was only made at 8:00 a.m. on June 8, 2023 - the exact date of the 13th anniversary of Dan Viet 's founding . Is it "fate" with the number 13, I think...
Looking back at 15 years of pursuing her passion for athletics, since winning gold medals at district and provincial levels in 2008, right from the first steps of pursuing her passion, did Huyen think she would be as successful as she is now ?
- What happened to me was like a "dream come true". I came from a poor family, my father died early, there were only three of us in the house, my sister was sick so she was not aware of everything around her, just like a child.
The whole family relied on rice to make a living and pay for my education. After school, my sister and I would help my mother catch crabs and snails to sell at the market.
My childhood memory is when my sister and I went to the fields to catch crabs and snails. I just did it perfunctorily and then went out to play. When I was done, I came back, took my sister's snails and put them in my basket, and showed them off to my mother. That funny story has stayed with me ever since. The more I think about it, the more I love my sister. Since I left home to practice professional athletics, I have been very aware of the need to save money and send it home to help my mother pay for living expenses and take care of my sister.
I focused on each small step, fought for each small tournament, tried to win gold medals in youth tournaments, national championships, and national sports festivals. When I was training with the provincial team, watching my seniors compete, I thought to myself, how good are they, always winning gold medals, and wished that one day I could be like them.
When I joined the national team, I saw the "monuments" of Vietnamese athletics such as Vu Thi Huong, Truong Thanh Hang, Vu Van Huyen, Nguyen Dinh Cuong... I only dared to stand from afar and admire, not daring to talk to them. At that time, I was shy and embarrassed, even though they were very sociable.
Looking back on my journey, I feel lucky that my career has been so smooth. Many of my peers tried as hard as I did, were also very talented, but unfortunately got injured; or when they practiced well, they did not achieve the desired results when competing and did not have the opportunity to show themselves on the international stage.
What is Huyen's most memorable memory in her early days of athletics ?
- Perhaps the biggest impression people had of me in those early days was that of a little girl who cried every day because she missed home and her mother, and refused to eat or drink anything. To the point that right before the competition, the teachers at Nam Dinh youth team had to take me home to see my mother so I wouldn't miss her so much, then I ran straight onto the field and... won the gold medal.
I think sports and athletics chose me. When I was in school, I always stood out from my friends in the game of tag. The boys couldn’t catch up with me. In 2007, my teachers saw that I had potential so they chose me to compete in the district and won first prize.
After that, I was called up to the provincial team but I asked to go home and not compete anymore because I missed my mother so much.
In 2008, I competed in the district and won the gold medal again. I won the gold medal in every event, from high jump, long jump, 800m run... But whenever someone said that I had to leave home to join the provincial youth team, I shook my head.
Reluctantly, the teachers had to create conditions for me to cycle 10km from home to the team practice in the morning and then cycle back, every day for a month. In the 2008 Provincial Phu Dong Sports Festival, I won against a professional training partner in the distance of... 100m, then competed in the 2008 National Phu Dong Sports Festival and won the gold medal.
In 2009, I was selected for the national youth athletics team that gathered in Tu Son, then joined the national team in 2011, competed in the first SEA Games in Indonesia, and won a bronze medal in the relay.
In the familiar grounds of the National Sports Training Center in Hanoi (Nhon), our conversation continued to drift back to the past . Huyen said she was grateful for the difficult days of her childhood. Thinking about her family's difficult circumstances, despite the tiring training and injuries, Huyen always encouraged herself to try to overcome them, change her life, and help her mother and sister have a more comfortable life. It was her family that motivated Huyen to achieve the success she has today.
In life , everyone has dreams, especially when they were young. Boys dream of becoming soldiers or policemen; girls dream of becoming singers or teachers... Huyen , please "reveal " your childhood dreams ?
- My family's circumstances were so difficult that when I was young, I had no dreams. I knew for sure that my mother could not support me through high school, let alone even think about going to university.
Athletics changed my life. If I hadn’t been an athlete, I would have followed my mother into the fields or worked in a nearby factory and then gotten married.
Back then, I only wished that I would work and have money to buy my mother a refrigerator. Summer was very hot, children craved iced water, every family had it but our family could only... wish!
During the youth team training days, I had almost no money. When I saw my friends buying pants and shirts, I didn't dare buy anything. My friends invited me to go out for snacks several times, but I was lucky to go only once, because I thought about my mother and sister still having a hard time at home.
At the end of 2008, I remember only getting 200,000 - 300,000 VND in Tet bonus, I went to the second-hand store, bought my mother and sister a shirt as a Tet gift to bring back.
And Huyen has realized her "refrigerator dream" for a long time?
- In 2009, after receiving a bonus of 12 million VND from the Southeast Asian Youth Championship, I immediately bought a refrigerator to bring home. That day, I told my mother: "I don't know how I will be able to practice in the future. But I will try to send money back to you every month. You should work less and don't worry about me anymore...".
With the 2009 bonus, I also helped my mother rebuild the kitchen. My house was right next to a field, and the tiled roof of the kitchen often leaked, and every time there was a storm, the roof would blow off. After the kitchen was built, although she didn’t say it, I knew my mother was very happy and proud of me.
Everything is fine now, but my mother still... works in the fields. She said if she didn't work, she would feel sad and couldn't stand it.
Along with economic difficulties in life, Huyen also has to face and overcome injuries that haunt every professional athlete...
- The first SEA Games I attended was in 2011 in Indonesia and I only won a bronze medal in the women's 4x400m relay. At the 2013 SEA Games, I went to Myanmar but could not compete because just two days before I was due to run, I tore my hamstring during a training session.
At that time, I was young and full of enthusiasm, so I just felt a little sad. My training results were very good and I was very confident going into the competition, but... I had to start over.
The SEA Games only come once every two years and an injury means two years of hard work from teachers and students go to waste.
After that, I thanked my coach (Coach Vu Ngoc Loi - PV) a lot. He always encouraged me and had appropriate training plans to help me recover quickly. My teammates also supported me a lot. Some of them who did not compete in the SEA Games were willing to "guide" me to practice, then I returned to compete at my best in the 2015 SEA Games.
For me, that injury has more positive meaning than negative. I think, when something happens in life, whether favorable or unfavorable, it is a lesson for me to become more mature.
Personality, passion, desire, and determination to assert herself helped Nguyen Thi Huyen overcome a torn thigh muscle injury at the end of 2013 to return and shine on the track of the 28th SEA Games in June 2015 in Singapore. But it was also those "characteristics" of youth that almost made Huyen lose herself. After the 2015 SEA Games, Huyen was said to have "star disease". Coach Vu Ngoc Loi was very angry and asked to quit coaching to recuperate . The main reason why Mr. Loi "got sick" was because Huyen focused on sidelines and behind-the-scenes matters (appearing on television, paying off debts from school ...) rather than... going out to practice, improve, and enhance her professional skills. "That was a time of impulsive youth . I don't think I had a "star" disease. It's simply that at that time I liked to do things my own way. Uncle Loi said something I didn't understand so I found him very difficult...", Huyen recalled the "low note" in her career.
After each gold medal that Huyen won in the international arena , the familiar image captured by reporters was her eyes searching for coach Vu Ngoc Loi, and the next day, Huyen ran to hug him with a bright smile...
- There would be no Nguyen Thi Huyen today without coach Vu Ngoc Loi. He is the one who trained me when I had no achievements, just a girl from Nam Dinh who came to Hanoi to pursue her passion.
In my heart, I always respect and am grateful to him. After the 2015 SEA Games, I achieved the first milestones in my career, received much attention from the media, and in a moment of youthful impulsiveness, I once "ignored" his advice and strictness.
I simply like to do things my own way and think that there is nothing wrong with that (?!). I feel that you are too picky. Going through that "turn" in my career, when I am more mature and experience many things, I thank and appreciate you more. Even though you are strict, you only want me to be better and go further. You only scold me because you love me so that I can realize my shortcomings.
To me, he is not only a coach but also a family member, a second father to me. He takes good care of me. Whenever I say I am tired, have trouble sleeping, or have a poor appetite because of a stomach ache, he even makes medicine for me to drink. He can scold me a lot, but when needed, he always stands up to protect and love me.
Before the 32nd SEA Games, he told me to go home for a bit and then come back to practice before going to Cambodia. But I asked to stay in the team because if I went home and had trouble getting around, all the efforts of the teachers and students would be meaningless.
Accompanying the success of athletes is always the shadow of a teacher...
- A teacher is very important to an athlete. For us track and field athletes, the training program requires running 3 laps, but sometimes I'm so tired after running 2 laps that I can't stand it and want to rest.
At that time, the coach has to force. Force the athlete to overcome and complete the training program so that they can accumulate enough volume, surpass the threshold, surpass the limits. If they can do it today, then tomorrow when facing that challenge, there will be nothing to be afraid of.
Our generation is now gradually entering the other side of the career slope, the cycle is shortening. Our experience and professionalism in life are much better than when we were young, but we are no longer physically fit enough to break through.
I hope that the young athletes after our generation, in addition to learning and following the example of their seniors as we did, will also know how to overcome the limitations that we encountered, focus more on their profession to soon reap good results in the SEA Games arena, creating a breakthrough stepping stone in the ASIAD arena and further, the Olympics.
Huyen is now an "idol " in the hearts of many young athletes. Looking back, can Huyen share about her own " idols" ?
- I feel lucky that during my youth I was able to train and live with very good athletes and I always think of them as "monuments" of Vietnamese athletics.
Each person has their own strengths. Ms. Vu Thi Huong ("speed queen" who dominated the 100m and 200m races at the SEA Games from 2005 to 2013; 100m bronze medal, 200m silver medal at the 2010 ASIAD, participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics - PV) has extremely good speed.
Ms. Truong Thanh Hang (who dominated the SEA Games 800m and 1500m races from 2005 to 2011 and holds the SEA Games records in these two events; 2 silver medals in 800m and 1500m at ASIAD 2010 - PV ) is very persistent and has "huge" achievements (the records of 2 minutes 00 seconds 91 for 800m and 4 minutes 09 seconds 58 for 1500m that Truong Thanh Hang achieved at ASIAD 2010 are still national records that no one has been able to break - PV ).
Mr. Vu Van Huyen is known as "the man of steel" with real "ten gold" medals ( dominated the 10-event combination event in 4 consecutive SEA Games from 2005 to 2011, bronze medal at ASIAD 2010 ) or Mr. Nguyen Dinh Cuong ( gold medal in men's 800m, 1500m at SEA Games 2007, 2009, currently holds the SEA Games record for 1500m event with a time of 3 minutes 45 seconds 31 set at SEA Games 2007) .
The most recent is Nguyen Van Lai ( 6 gold medals in 5000m, 10,000m SEA Games and currently holds the SEA Games record for 5000m with a time of 14 minutes 04 seconds 82 set at SEA Games 2015) . At this time, Lai also switched to conquering the marathon at the age of 40, truly admirable and an example for me to learn from, look at and try harder.
Huyen Thuong has a great sprint in the 400m and 400m hurdles . What is the secret ?
- My 400m and 400m hurdles require both speed and endurance, willpower in the final meters. If either element is missing, I cannot achieve good results.
If a 400m athlete doesn't have the speed to break away in the first leg, and meets a fast athlete, they will "press" and make him "stiff" for the rest of the race. If he doesn't have the stamina, he can only run 300m to 350m, and by the last 50m he can't push forward anymore.
People often say that 400m runners are like "cleavers", very versatile, can run 200m or 800m. We are also good at relays because we can run both short and long distances.
What I have achieved is simply accumulation, a process. At first, I practiced 800m, not 400m. But after a while, the coach realized that I had a bit of speed, so he switched me to 400m. Partly because in the 800m event, Ms. Truong Thanh Hang at that time had affirmed herself as number 1.
The endurance of 800m combined with the training process and competition in many international competitions has helped me gain experience, always being very alert and determined in the last 50m - 100m, the time when many competing athletes are very tired.
Not only is she a leading athlete, an example of will and determination in both life and on the track, Nguyen Thi Huyen also equips herself and prepares everything for a new journey - the journey to follow coach Vu Ngoc Loi to train talented athletes for Nam Dinh athletics in particular and Vietnamese athletics in general .
Nguyen Thi Huyen graduated from Bac Ninh University of Sports and Physical Education. Every time she goes to practice or compete internationally , she always takes time to record clips and the style of the world's top athletes before, during and after the competition : "For me, the 2016 Rio Olympics means a lot . I have learned a lot in all aspects and hope to be able to pass on those experiences to future generations of athletes."
Up to now, what surprises many people most about Huyen is not only her 13 SEA Games gold medals, but also the way Huyen has returned and shined after giving birth. What strength helped Huyen do that ?
- Honestly, when I decided to get married and pregnant, I didn't think I would return to competition. I decided that after giving birth, I would retire and switch to coaching. I also went to the military recruitment to be ready to go out on the track as a coach.
But perhaps my fate with the running track has not ended yet. When the 2018 ASIAD took place from mid-August to early September, I held my newborn baby, who was only a few months old, and watched the TV cheering on the Vietnamese athletes competing, feeling as nervous as if I were running on the track myself.
It's truly an "occupational disease" and at that moment, the thought flashed through my mind: "I really want to compete, should I practice again and compete again?"
Next was the decisive "push" at the 2018 National Sports Festival. My husband and I, who are track and field lecturers at Bac Ninh University of Sports, both love to watch track and field athletes compete. So we "took turns", each taking care of the children for a day and the other riding a motorbike from our home in Tu Son to My Dinh Athletics Palace to immerse ourselves in the exciting atmosphere of track and field. When I got there, I really liked it so much that I was determined to come back.
A few days later, I told my husband: "I will go back to training and competing." Luckily, everyone in the family supported me. My mother-in-law was just worried about whether I could run. I was not 100% sure, but I told myself I had to try, to conquer what I had not been able to do. I asked to practice again and Nam Dinh agreed, creating conditions for me to practice on my own in Tu Son, conveniently taking care of my young child.
The time to start over was really difficult, it was a big challenge , wasn't it Huyen ?
- When I returned to training, I was very fat, I had gained a lot of weight. For professional athletes, just a few days off, then training again is tiring. I took almost a year off, and training again made my whole body hurt, especially my shins, knees, and ankles. At that time, there were times when I wanted to give up. I was training and taking care of my child, and how could I have enough milk for him? I couldn't bear doing three things at once.
And 5 months after giving birth, my child suffered a loss, being weaned early, the whole family was very sad about this. I was forced to separate my child, letting him sleep with his father and grandmother. I loved him very much, but I had already made my choice! Since the beginning, when I set a goal, I had to focus completely on it to do it well. The more I loved my child, the more I tried to practice with the belief that when my child grew up, he would be proud of me.
My efforts and the support of my family were rewarded with two gold medals at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines. Thanks to those two gold medals, I have more motivation to continue pursuing my passion. If I had not achieved my best results at that time, I probably would have retired and would not have won the gold medals at the 31st SEA Games in Vietnam and the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia last May.
The milestones of 52 seconds for 400m and 56.06 seconds for 400m hurdles (2017 SEA Games gold medal) are Huyen 's best achievements up to now. Do you think you can continue to surpass the mark ?
- I thought it was impossible! At that time, I was young, had no family, and no children. The problem of age is a story that every athlete has to face. After each training session, I still had knee and ankle pain, which were chronic injuries. With the support of my husband and coach with a suitable training program, I could only practice to reduce the impact and reduce the pain, but could not completely recover.
At the recent 32nd SEA Games, I ran 56.29 seconds to win the 400m hurdles gold medal, which I think was very good. In the coming time, I will try to compete well at the Asian Athletics Championships in July in Thailand and then the 19th ASIAD in late September, early October in Hangzhou (China).
Achievement for me at this time is just one of the things I want to conquer. I need to listen to my body, see how long I can run, can I win another SEA Games gold medal?
I also want female athletes in the future to be confident in getting married, having children and returning to the track like me, Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuc (many SEA Games gold medalists, officially winning tickets to the 2012 London Olympics, giving birth and returning with a gold medal in the 20km women's walk at the 32nd SEA Games - PV), Bui Thi Thu Thao (2017 SEA Games long jump gold medalists, 2018 ASIAD gold medalists, giving birth, returning to win silver medals at the 31st and 32nd SEA Games - PV), Pham Thi Hue...; instead of being haunted by the thought that after getting married and having children, they cannot continue to compete at the top level.
On her personal Facebook , Huyen posted photos and clips recording images of her running with her daughter . And after what she has been through, does Huyen support her daughter in pursuing a career in athletics ?
- What I wish and want to do after retiring from the track is to discover and train talented young athletes for Vietnamese athletics. They will help me fulfill the unfinished things in my career such as an ASIAD medal, even an Olympic medal.
I was fortunate to attend the 2016 Rio Olympics and many major international tournaments, so I learned a lot, including supplementary exercises. I always pay attention to the behavior of the world's top athletes before, during and after the competition. They are very professional, worth learning from. I have recorded and kept all of those valuable documents to improve myself and later on will be very useful for coaching.
My daughter is only 5 years old.
Now I was young and could not say anything.
The feeling will be special, happy, proud when my daughter is the one who has done things that I have not yet achieved in my career.
Thank you Nguyen Thi Huyen for this open conversation!
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