Against the Tide

Chinese swimmer Jiang Yuyan clocked in at one minute and 20.13 seconds in the women's S6 100-meter backstroke to set a new championship record at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore on September 21, 2025.

Jiang, from Zhejiang province, lost her right arm and right leg in a car accident when she was just three years old. She began to learn to swim at seven and transformed challenge into triumph thereafter: She broke three world records at the Tokyo Paralympics, set six more at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, and claimed seven gold medals at the Paris Paralympics.

In April 2025, Jiang Yuyan was awarded the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability, becoming the first Chinese athlete to receive this global honor. From the podium, she said the only rule was to courageously break through every limit and never let others define who you are.

Over several years, the film crew of this documentary followed Jiang's journey, capturing the inspiring story of a Chinese athlete who refused to be defined by limits.