The girl with the world at her feet

"Outside of competition, we talk about our hobbies, share funny stories and even introduce each other to our friends," Wen said, showing a video of Roberts learning Chinese during a break between events.

"She's become obsessed with learning the language, pulling me aside whenever she can to teach her a few words. She keeps urging me to learn English too, saying it would make our conversations even more fun."

Championship journey

Wen, born in 1997 in Yiyang, Hunan province, has defied the odds from an early age, showing exceptional talent in long jump and sprinting, despite a congenital disability affecting her left side. In 2015, she joined the Hunan para athletics team, beginning a career that would soon see her dominate on the world stage.

Her Paralympic journey took off in 2016, when, as a newcomer to China's national team, Wen clinched two gold medals at the Rio Games in the women's T37 long jump and 4x100m relay T35-38 — both with new world records.

At the Tokyo Paralympics, she added three more golds in the T37 100m, 200m and long jump events.

In July 2023, Wen's world records in the 100m and 200m T37 categories were broken at the Para Athletics World Championships in Paris by Karen Palomeque from Columbia. But, just three months later, she reclaimed her records at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, where she also won gold in the T37/38 long jump with a leap of 5.45m. Over the course of three days, she shattered three world records.

Paris marked Wen's third Paralympic Games, where her haul of gold medals and new records have charted her remarkable growth.

"Now, I'm really competing against myself. Even as the world's top-ranked athlete, I believe I can do better," she said. "For para athletes, our peak often comes later than that of able-bodied athletes. I still feel like I'm in my prime."

At 26, Wen is fully aware of the fleeting nature of her career.

"In these few precious years, I want to see how far I can push myself and how high I can go."

Wen attributes her athletic progress to the carefully crafted training plan devised by her coach, Wang Chunlei, who oversees her sprinting events, and praised Wen's stellar performance in Paris.

"It shows that she's still improving," Wang remarked.

Both long jump and sprinting demand explosive power, with speed being a key factor in achieving greater distances in the long jump. "The two events complement each other," Wang said. "When her sprinting improves, so does her long jump."

For athletes like Wen, who have impairments on one side of their body, conventional training methods aren't always suitable. Wang has tailored specific exercises to target Wen's affected side, gradually closing the gap between the impaired and unaffected limbs.

"Wen's optimism and dedication are unmatched," Wang said. "As a veteran, she not only excels in her own events, but also provides valuable guidance to younger athletes, serving as a role model both on and off the field."

In addition to her athletic achievements, Wen has embraced a new role. In 2022, she began working at Hunan Xiangya Bo'ai Rehabilitation Hospital. When she isn't training or competing, she trades her tracksuit for a white coat, navigating between treatment rooms and offices with the same determination that makes her a champion.

Wen actively promotes injury prevention, and guides the rehabilitation of patients recovering from workplace injuries.

"Sports and medicine are inseparable," she says, adding that physical activity plays a crucial role in recovery for people with disabilities.

She now hopes that her penchant for overachieving on the track will extend to pursuing her graduate studies in sports science.

It's probably fair to say that Wen is someone destined to excel, regardless of the field.

liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn