TPO - If you ever feel hopeless and think about giving up, read Pham Phuoc Hung's story. He is a symbol of victory over illness and every time he falls into adversity, he rises stronger.
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Sitting on the foam mat, shaking his sweaty head after completing the handstand push-up, Chu Thanh Hoang excitedly said that he thought it would take him a whole year to be able to do this move, but he succeeded after only one month of training at Phuoc Hung Gymnastics. Now the 17-year-old boy is practicing other events. As he said, it is difficult but exciting.
“Before, I spent too much time on social networks or online games. Now, thinking back, I feel regretful for missing out on these wonderful things. Since practicing here, I have not only become healthier and more resilient, but my mind is also clearer and quicker to study better,” Hoang shared.
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Hoang lives at the end of Thuy Khue, and every afternoon he comes here to practice. He is practicing Calisthenics and plans to compete in the future. Calisthenics has very difficult techniques, challenging the limits of endurance, but Hoang is not discouraged. He is confident with the guidance, and is also inspired by the story of his own teacher, the founder of Phuoc Hung Gymnastics Club, Vietnamese Gymnastics star Pham Phuoc Hung.
Phuoc Hung has participated in the Olympics twice and has won more than 60 medals of all kinds in his career, including 2 World Cup Gold medals and 7 SEA Games Gold medals. Not only that, he also created 2 new movements with difficulty levels D and E that were included in the competition technical system by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
Looking at the massive collection of medals in thick glass frames hanging in the gym, the first feeling is overwhelming. And then, it can tell the story of Phuoc Hung, an extraordinary young man who rose from adversity.
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“Stop exercising. You have to give up sports or you will be paralyzed.”
The doctor's words stunned Hung. He could not believe it was true. Hung was only 18 years old at the time and had been suffering from long-term pain in his lower back. At the 5th National Sports Festival (2006), he "went to compete as if he was being tortured". After winning the Gold Medal on the Parallel Bar, he aimed for the Gold Medal on the Single Bar. However, as soon as he jumped up, Hung had to jump down because of the excruciating pain.
However, Hung thought he was just injured, an injury that all athletes get. On nights when he couldn’t sleep because of the pain or when his back had a big lump, he still believed it. He didn’t believe he had tuberculosis of the spine, and that the tuberculosis bacteria had eaten away at two vertebrae.
The following days, Hung locked himself in his room, a small room in the dormitory in Nanning (China) and wondered, is everything over? Then the coaches sent Hung back to Vietnam for treatment. Everyone thought they had lost a gymnastics talent.
But Hung did not. Because he already had his answer. How could he stop after so many years of hard training, with so much trust and effort everyone had put in him?
Hung still remembers that at the age of 6, he was so small and weak that many teachers were surprised when he was chosen by the experts. The coach explained that Hung "had bright eyes, shining with determination and desire". He was right, when Hung was in the group of 5 people who remained from the first 100 people, then went to China for training, and continued to be the last one or two people to stay, entering a journey of more than ten years of hard training in a foreign land.
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Hung remembered the words of the late martial artist Hoang Vinh Giang (Labor Hero, former President of the Vietnam Traditional Martial Arts Federation), when he convinced his family to let him go to China, that "anyone can raise an adult, but few people can train a top athlete, you have the ability, so go to succeed".
As Mr. Giang said, it is not easy to produce a gymnast. It takes decades of training from a young age, with the repetitive cycle of training, eating, training, eating and studying culture, starting from 5:30 am to 9:30 pm. After what he has experienced and starting to reap success for the country, Hung needs to continue.
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Recently on his personal Facebook, Phuoc Hung shared a movie called Cinderella Man. The movie was inspired by the life story of heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock, who had to give up his career due to a broken arm and then worked as a stevedore to support his family.
When he was in dire straits, he returned to the ring, training his left hand to replace his broken right, and defeated his opponents to win the world heavyweight championship. Braddock was seen as a symbol of the aspiration to rise up in the context of the Great Depression of the 1930s.
In Cinderella Man, the character Braddock played by Russel Crowe says, “When things go wrong, I believe I can change them.”
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Phuoc Hung did not know about this movie when he was young, but even then he shared Braddock's thoughts. We can still change our fate if we have enough determination and patience.
When he couldn’t practice, instead of feeling sad, he went online to learn more about gymnastics and watched competition clips of world gymnastics athletes. From there, he not only understood his opponents but also formed new skills in his mind.
After a period of treatment, his condition began to improve and Hung resumed training, step by step. To the surprise of many, he returned to competitions, first competing in arm events, then in leg events and the all-around.
“When I was in the most pain, I still won gold,” he said. So, when he recovered, Hung won gold in the SEA Games, then the World Cup and entered the big Olympic arena. Not only did he reverse his fate, Hung also completely transformed. During the days away from the arena, he also changed his career mindset. If before he practiced just for the sake of practicing, practicing for his teacher, now he practiced for himself, practicing to be better.
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In comparison, Braddock was luckier than Phuoc Hung because fate only tested him once. For the Hanoian, “things went wrong” and he continued to fall into adversity.
Those were the days of extreme fatigue, when Hung practiced and rode his motorbike to Tu Son to study at the University of Physical Education and Sports. He suddenly had a persistent cough, which became increasingly worse and his chest felt hot. After a long time of suffering, he decided to go to the doctor. The doctor said he had tuberculosis.
At the age of 25, many gymnasts would consider retiring. They would easily make the decision if they were sick like Hung. However, that was not his choice. This time, he was no longer shocked, because he had a strong belief that he would overcome the disease again.
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He practiced and treated his illness at the same time. Because of the long treatment and the use of many antibiotics, Hung's skin became dark and his face broke out with acne. He had to take a lot of supplements and he also gained weight, while gymnastics requires a light physique. However, all of that did not bother him. He still won the Silver Medal at the 2014 World Cup, dominated the SEA Games and won a ticket to the Olympics for the second time.
Just like when he had spinal tuberculosis, after defeating tuberculosis, another lesson was learned. He realized the importance of protecting his health and paying more attention to his diet. Putting an end to the days of "unbridled" eating, he built a healthy menu, a moderate lifestyle and a reasonable exercise schedule to prevent and fight off diseases.
One day, Hung wanted to spread those experiences to everyone. He decided to participate in more social activities and tried to promote the sports movement in the community. Besides, he learned more about nutrition, management, and business experience before opening his own club named Phuoc Hung Gymnastics in 2017.
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Traveling a lot, Phuoc Hung realized that to build a strong sports foundation, it is necessary to start from the movement. And TDDC is a sport that fully integrates 6 qualities (speed, strength, endurance, dexterity, flexibility, and coordination), providing a foundation for many other sports. He wants to create a professional, proper, and safe training environment and find joy in sports.
Since its opening, Phuoc Hung Gymnastics in Tu Lien, Tay Ho, has become a favorite destination for young people. Thanks to that, the gymnastics movement has developed strongly. Many performances on the walking street and grassroots competitions have taken place. And soon, the national Calisthenics tournament that Hoang, Hung's student, is looking forward to, will also be held. The view of gymnastics has changed. From fear, many people have turned to support, cheer and become part of the community.
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Over time, the number of students has expanded, from children to office workers, from young people who want a “six-pack” body to those who want to lose weight and pursue a healthy lifestyle. In addition to sports, Hung also wants to improve the physique and health of Vietnamese people. “Having suffered from serious illnesses twice, I want Vietnamese people to be healthier, hospitals not to be overloaded, and people to improve their productivity in work and labor.”
Bringing health and joy to everyone, Hung also found happiness for himself. He married Ngo Khanh Linh, a dancer who came to the club to learn additional acrobatic moves, and now they have two cute children. Family is the reason why Hung decided to retire, then focus completely on his loved ones whom he rarely had the opportunity to be close to when he was still competing. Braddock said "my heart is with my family", and so does Phuoc Hung.
Of course, Hung’s “family” also includes the sports enthusiast community. He will continue to inspire them, telling them that there is no difficulty that cannot be overcome, no bad thing that cannot be changed. All you need is perseverance, determination and strong belief in what you are pursuing.
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