Talent knows no age.

(Baonghean) - We visited Hamlet 8, Quynh Lien Commune, Hoang Mai Town to meet Nguyen Thi Uyen, a 19-year-old athlete who brilliantly overcame strong opponents from countries around the world to win the gold medal at the 12th International Taekwondo Club Cup in June 2014 held in Australia.

Uyen was born and raised amidst the salty sea breeze. Unfortunately, her father passed away from a serious illness, leaving behind her mother and three sisters. Facing many hardships, Uyen always strived to be a good daughter and a good student. From a young age, as the eldest sister, she had to help her mother with household chores such as shopping and cooking. During the summer break of her 7th grade year, Uyen was fascinated by the beautiful martial arts movements she saw her cousin, a former taekwondo athlete from the Provincial Sports Center, practicing at home. She was fortunate to have her athletic talent discovered by her cousin, who took her to training. Under the professional guidance of the instructors at the Provincial Sports Center, Uyen only performed a few basic routines before being officially enrolled in the taekwondo program at the center.

Nguyen Thi Uyen won the gold medal at the 12th International Taekwondo Club Cup (June 2014) held in Australia.

Speaking about her journey into the martial art she loves and pursues, Uyen shared: "In the early days of joining the team in Vinh City, I lacked confidence because the older members already had advanced techniques. Not wanting to be left out, I worked hard, practicing and learning different striking techniques. During competitions, I often got injured because of my efforts. At those times, I tried to forget the pain, immediately getting up, regaining my balance, and giving it my all to continue competing. Besides training with my teacher, I also practiced with my classmates during breaks and with my older brother at home. For me, martial arts is both a passion and a way to improve my physical fitness."

After tireless training, in 2009, Uyen brought home a silver medal for Nghe An sports at the national youth team championship. Since then, Uyen has been selected every year to join the Nghe An taekwondo team to participate in tournaments and has consistently won gold and silver medals.

By 2011, her form had reached its peak, and Uyen consistently dominated the medal table, winning gold medals at the National Youth Championships and the National Club Cup. Building on this impressive record, Uyen was selected to represent Vietnam at the International Taekwondo Club Cup in Australia. Overcoming competitors from around the world, she won the gold medal, bringing a glorious victory to the country on the international stage.

According to Uyen, based on her experience, to succeed on the international stage, one must be persistent and determined in training. Success comes from hard work, sweat, and tears. In competition, it's crucial to focus on executing a valid, accurate, and powerful technique in the scoring area, such as: Footwork should utilize techniques from the ankle downwards. Handwork should use the front of a clenched fist (straight punch). The ability to maintain balance on one leg, shifting the body's center of gravity backward while using the other leg for attack and defense, is also important. One of the biggest weaknesses of Vietnamese athletes is their physical fitness. Without good physical fitness, they cannot complete the training program with high quality, let alone compete closely against strong opponents. Participating in competitions requires not only technical skills but also training exercises to build stamina and endurance.

Speaking about his student, Taekwondo coach Dang Dinh Hung commented: “Uyen’s strengths are her height (1.75m) and her solid strikes. Uyen showed early talent with high flexibility in her strikes and her effort in competition. These factors led to her being selected to compete in many amateur tournaments to gain experience. She is one of two athletes from the province to be selected for the National Team. With her eagerness to learn, Uyen is constantly improving and becoming a promising name in the provincial taekwondo team. She is an athlete with potential and the ability to go further if she continues to diligently hone her skills in competition.”

At just 19 years old, Nguyen Thi Uyen's impressive achievements are truly admirable. With her relentless efforts to overcome difficulties and her eagerness to learn and improve herself, she deserves to be a proud symbol of taekwondo in her province.

Text and photos:Pham Ngan