Pool of inspiration

Irrepressible swimmer Qian Hongyan hopes to encourage others out of their comfort zone

For iconic Chinese para swimmer Qian Hongyan, competing at the 4th Asian Para Games is more about testing her own limits.

More importantly, the 26-year-old, who has been an inspiration for decades, would like to keep encouraging others to take on life's challenges by entering the pool.

"It's great to participate in the Asian Para Games for the first time, especially at home. All I want is to inspire more people with disabilities through my own stories and experience," said Qian in an exclusive interview with Asiad Daily.

"I want to show that, through para sports, people with disabilities can shine. Through hard work, we can achieve our dreams and, more importantly, new horizons. It was unthinkable for me as a kid that I would have the chance to compete in such high-level international events.

"All of those experiences are great examples of showing a sporting spirit. I want to encourage people to have a more positive mindset, and hope that we all can beat the odds and create better lives through our own hard work."

Known as the "basketball girl", Qian's life story has been an inspiration for decades. Losing both her legs due to a car accident at the age of four in 2000, she became well known by the public early in life, following the publication of a picture of her as a kid sitting inside half of a basketball. The basketball acted as homemade protective gear, which helped her move around on the ground.

In 2007, she discovered an interest in swimming and began training. It was hard in the beginning. Without both legs, keeping herself above water felt like an impossible task.