Being in wheelchairs does not prevent athletes Pham Hong Thuc and HoangHong Kien from being happy in life and on the sports track.
Consideredthe golden couple of Vietnam's paralympians, they have won many prizesfor the country in recent years, inspiring people with physicalhandicaps.
The wall of their rented home in Nam Tu Liem Districtin Hanoi is laden with medals and certificate of recognition that thecouple has won in various competitions.
In the mornings, Kienprepares breakfast for her husband and five-year-old son. She movesaround in a wheelchair or on the floor using only her legs and hands.Her body was paralysed after a fever when she was four months old.
Thuchelps his wife with cooking and washing clothes. His legs wereamputated below the knee after a train accident when he was 14.
All of the items in the house are placed low so they can easily reach them.
Bornin Gia Lam district, life collapsed for Thuc after the train accident.He dropped out of school and did various temporary jobs to make endsmeet, such as raising cattle and fixing bicycles.
In 2002, whenthe Khuc Hao Sports Centre was recruiting people for the ASEAN Paragames2 to be held in Vietnam in December 2003, Thuc registered as an athleteand passed. Despite losing both legs, he was considered to have theskill and physical strength for wheelchair racing.
"Since gettinginvolved in sports, I feel life has more meaning," Thuc said. "I feellike my life has turned around the corner. I practice from 5am to 11amevery day. As an athlete, I can earn enough money from big competitionsto live by."
Thuc won two silver medals for Vietnam at the Paragames 2. It was also where he met Kien, his future partner.
Kien'smother was single and had to raise three children in Dinh Lap district,Lang Son province. Kien never went to school because she caughtparalysis when she was four months' old.
"My childhood years were sad. I was laughed at and mocked at," she said.
Whenshe was 20, Kien left her home town for Hanoi without her family'sconsent. She was accepted to the Ha Dong District Association of BlindPeople to sell toothpicks and brooms.
Every day, she carrieddozens of brooms and packages of toothpicks in her wheelchair to everycorner of the city. Her hands suffered heavy bruises from pushing longhours to sell the stuff.
In June 2003, she had a trafficaccident, but fortunately, only her wheelchair was broken. She wasoffered a new chair by the Khuc Hao Sports Centre. Later, a coachinvited her to participate in wheelchair racing.
"From then on,my day started at 2am in the morning to propel my wheelchair 11km toHang Day Stadium and started my training at 5am," she said. "Then Idrove around the city to sell more brooms and tooth picks. At the end ofeach day, I was completely drained out."
She also got two goldmedals in wheelchair racing and a prize of 30 million VND (1,400 USD)."I built a house for my parents back home after ours got swept away byfloods," she said.
After meeting at the ASEAN ParaGamescompetition in 2003, the couple got married in 2004. To save money, theydid not hold a wedding ceremony.
To make ends meet, the coupledid a variety of jobs apart from wheelchair racing. In 2006, they openeda factory that produces toothpicks and bamboo brooms, providing jobsfor about 20 people with disabilities.
Trinh Thi Lien, DeputyChairwoman of the Ha Dong Business Association for Women Entrepreneurs,said she met the couple when they sang at a local contest. "I amalways amazed that they are so positive. They are role models for otherswith disabilities," she said.
Lien knew the couple had no photosfrom their wedding because they felt they would not look good. So shepaid for a wedding-photo shoot done and a family portrait.
On thetrack, since 2007, Kien has won more than 10 prizes in variouscompetitions throughout Asia. Thuc has also has won nationalcompetitions.
In 2008, Kien became pregnant and the couple had ahealthy boy. For a couple with such disabilities, the nine-month waitwas difficult.
Now, Thuc goes training every day while Kiencarries her son to school and distributes bamboo brooms and chopsticksto sellers. Kien is also the chairwoman of a local club for women withdisabilities. After giving birth, she was no longer strong enough forinternational competition.
But she is not discouraged. "I feel that my family has made up for what I have lost," she said.-VNA
Consideredthe golden couple of Vietnam's paralympians, they have won many prizesfor the country in recent years, inspiring people with physicalhandicaps.
The wall of their rented home in Nam Tu Liem Districtin Hanoi is laden with medals and certificate of recognition that thecouple has won in various competitions.
In the mornings, Kienprepares breakfast for her husband and five-year-old son. She movesaround in a wheelchair or on the floor using only her legs and hands.Her body was paralysed after a fever when she was four months old.
Thuchelps his wife with cooking and washing clothes. His legs wereamputated below the knee after a train accident when he was 14.
All of the items in the house are placed low so they can easily reach them.
Bornin Gia Lam district, life collapsed for Thuc after the train accident.He dropped out of school and did various temporary jobs to make endsmeet, such as raising cattle and fixing bicycles.
In 2002, whenthe Khuc Hao Sports Centre was recruiting people for the ASEAN Paragames2 to be held in Vietnam in December 2003, Thuc registered as an athleteand passed. Despite losing both legs, he was considered to have theskill and physical strength for wheelchair racing.
"Since gettinginvolved in sports, I feel life has more meaning," Thuc said. "I feellike my life has turned around the corner. I practice from 5am to 11amevery day. As an athlete, I can earn enough money from big competitionsto live by."
Thuc won two silver medals for Vietnam at the Paragames 2. It was also where he met Kien, his future partner.
Kien'smother was single and had to raise three children in Dinh Lap district,Lang Son province. Kien never went to school because she caughtparalysis when she was four months' old.
"My childhood years were sad. I was laughed at and mocked at," she said.
Whenshe was 20, Kien left her home town for Hanoi without her family'sconsent. She was accepted to the Ha Dong District Association of BlindPeople to sell toothpicks and brooms.
Every day, she carrieddozens of brooms and packages of toothpicks in her wheelchair to everycorner of the city. Her hands suffered heavy bruises from pushing longhours to sell the stuff.
In June 2003, she had a trafficaccident, but fortunately, only her wheelchair was broken. She wasoffered a new chair by the Khuc Hao Sports Centre. Later, a coachinvited her to participate in wheelchair racing.
"From then on,my day started at 2am in the morning to propel my wheelchair 11km toHang Day Stadium and started my training at 5am," she said. "Then Idrove around the city to sell more brooms and tooth picks. At the end ofeach day, I was completely drained out."
She also got two goldmedals in wheelchair racing and a prize of 30 million VND (1,400 USD)."I built a house for my parents back home after ours got swept away byfloods," she said.
After meeting at the ASEAN ParaGamescompetition in 2003, the couple got married in 2004. To save money, theydid not hold a wedding ceremony.
To make ends meet, the coupledid a variety of jobs apart from wheelchair racing. In 2006, they openeda factory that produces toothpicks and bamboo brooms, providing jobsfor about 20 people with disabilities.
Trinh Thi Lien, DeputyChairwoman of the Ha Dong Business Association for Women Entrepreneurs,said she met the couple when they sang at a local contest. "I amalways amazed that they are so positive. They are role models for otherswith disabilities," she said.
Lien knew the couple had no photosfrom their wedding because they felt they would not look good. So shepaid for a wedding-photo shoot done and a family portrait.
On thetrack, since 2007, Kien has won more than 10 prizes in variouscompetitions throughout Asia. Thuc has also has won nationalcompetitions.
In 2008, Kien became pregnant and the couple had ahealthy boy. For a couple with such disabilities, the nine-month waitwas difficult.
Now, Thuc goes training every day while Kiencarries her son to school and distributes bamboo brooms and chopsticksto sellers. Kien is also the chairwoman of a local club for women withdisabilities. After giving birth, she was no longer strong enough forinternational competition.
But she is not discouraged. "I feel that my family has made up for what I have lost," she said.-VNA
