Le Duy Manh: Disabled person conquers gold medal

(Baonghean.vn) -As an athlete participating in the 8th Southeast Asian Para Games (ASEAN Para Games 8/2015) in Singapore in early December, Le Van Manh, a native of Hoang Mai (Nghe An) was honored to bring home 2 gold medals, contributing to the overall achievement of the Vietnamese delegation to 4th place. This is also the motivation for Manh to build more confidence, continue to rise in life, and contribute to his homeland and country.

Shine on the track

Le Van Manh is a disabled athlete of the F37 class. At the recent Asean Para Games, he tried his best to win 2 gold medals in the 100m and 400m distances. Manh said that before participating in the competition, he had 3 months to focus on the national team, and most of his time was spent practicing and living at the Hanoi Disabled Sports Club, where Manh has been a member for 4 years. This is also the place that helped Manh to take up the sport of Athletics and compete in domestic and international competitions. Manh confided that this was the 5th tournament in the past 4 years. Up to now, Manh has won 14 gold medals, most recently 2 gold medals at the 8th Asean Para Games in 2015.

Le Duy Manh (3rd from right) on the race track.

Returning home after 10 days of competition in Singapore, Manh had 2 days to visit his family in hamlet 10, Quynh Loc commune, Hoang Mai town after the national team's training session.

Our first impression of Manh was a small, handsome, gentle, and somewhat shy boy. But hidden inside was an extraordinary determination to rise up in life, achieving the remarkable achievements he has today.

Sharing about the opportunity that brought him to Athletics, Manh said: After joining the Hanoi Sports Club for the Disabled, he actively participated in sports, especially football. After a period of training, the coaching staff discovered that he had a talent for running, so they directed him to Athletics and he has been training ever since.

Manh's joy of victory.

The training regimen of athletes is hard and somewhat harsh, which is already difficult for athletes, let alone those with disabilities like Manh. But his passion has motivated him to try and practice hard.

Each tournament he has passed has left him with many deep emotions. But the most touching and indescribable was at the recent tournament, after winning the Gold medal in the 400m distance, standing on the podium, protected and surrounded by the national flag, listening to the Vietnamese national anthem, he burst into tears, tears of pride and honor.

Manh also shared that when he had the opportunity to stand among friends, speaking many languages, among many flags, he realized how dear the homeland flag and mother tongue were. The more he did so, the more he told himself that he had to try harder.

Wish to have a stable job

Le Van Manh was born in 1990 in Hamlet 10, Quynh Loc Commune, Hoang Mai Town. Manh's mother said that he was the first child, and was healthy and chubby when he was born. In the 5th month, after getting a polio vaccine, he had a fever and his right arm could no longer move. Seeing that, the couple quickly took their child to the clinic and were diagnosed with an injection into the tendon, so there was a possibility that the arm would be paralyzed. The couple packed up and took their child to Hanoi for treatment, even seeing Dr. Nguyen Tai Thu. After a consultation, the doctor concluded that Manh was paralyzed because he had been injected with an overdose of medicine.

My weak hands are always strengthened by my family.

Manh's right hand gradually atrophied and weakened, only able to move slightly, unable to lift or hold heavy objects. When he reached school age, Manh was trained by his mother to write, ride a bicycle, and help his mother with many housework... all with his left hand. After graduating from high school, Manh studied IT at the Nghe An Training and Vocational Training Center for the Disabled for a year, then went to Hanoi to continue studying Information Technology. In 2012, fate brought him back to Athletics, where he met friends and teachers and achieved the achievements he has today.

Friends share joy with Manh.

When asked about his future dreams, Manh confided: “For now, I still try my best to practice and take advantage of competitions. In the long term, I hope to have a stable job related to information technology, the knowledge I have learned, and if possible, I can help those less fortunate than me have access to information technology, because this subject helps each person to connect with the whole world, especially with people with disabilities, so that everyone can integrate into this life, feel that life is truly more beautiful.”

Manh's gold medal collection

Nguyen Van

Hoang Mai Radio Station