Wheelchair fencing world champion Qi Kaili, one of China's most famous disabled athletes, appeared ready to qualify for her first Paralympics last year when she found out that she was pregnant.

Qi, who established herself in the sport at the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled in 1994, was 33 and facing one of the most difficult choices of her career: whether to start a family or chase the sport's ultimate prize.

"It was a painful decision," she told China Daily. "It was my dream to win the Olympic gold and I had been so close to it. But now when I look at the smiling face of my son, I think I did the right thing."

Holding her six months old baby boy in her arms, Qi said the happiness he brings more than compensates for her feelings of regret at missing the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

Despite taking the world title in the team epee event at the 2006 Wheelchair Fencing World Cup in Hong Kong, Qi had to collect more points to qualify for the upcoming Games. The decision to have a baby meant that she would miss the major events in the latter half of the year, including the Wheelchair Fencing World Championships in September, the National Games in October and the Far East and South Pacific Games in November.

"I can still get involved in the Olympics in other roles instead of as an athlete," she said.

Due to her high marketability in China, Qi was invited to shoot a music video for a song for the Beijing Paralympics. Next week, she will attend the Sports Film Festival in Beijing.

"I told my teammates that I will take Semy son to cheer for them at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics," she said.

Before she got injured while training at the age of 19, the 1.82m athlete was already a promising high jumper. She won the annual high jump competition among Beijing middle schools for five straight years and finished third at the National Games for Middle School Students. Buoyed by her success, Qi hoped to collect medals at China's National Games, the Asian Games and even the Olympics.

But during some strength training on January 17, 1993, Qi stumbled on a mat while lifting a 100kg barbell; the barbell fell on her back, crunching her spine. The accident left her paralyzed from the waist down and her sporting career seemed over.

It wasn't.