by sportswriter Liu Yang

FUZHOU, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese gymnast Qiu Qiyuan recently shared her sporting journey with primary school students, speaking not only of gold medals but also of the memory of a "seed".

Invited by the Champions' Public Class program, organized by the local sports bureau in southeast China's Fujian Province, Qiu visited a primary school in Fuzhou last week to share her story and offer exercise tips. The event was broadcast live on television and social media.

"14 years ago, I stepped into a gymnastics hall for the very first time. Back then, I was just an ordinary child drawn to a trampoline," the 18-year-old recalled. "My coach told me there was a seed of gymnastics hidden within my body. Those words opened the door to my dreams."

That seed has since grown into an athlete who has navigated the heights of world championship glory, the bittersweet moment of an Olympic silver medal, and a challenging return from injury to claim a long-awaited national title.

"Medals are only awarded to the brave who struggle," Qiu told the students. "The true spirit of sports lies not just in the glory of winning, but in the courage to rise after a fall, and in the resolve to move forward even when the path is hard."

That resolve was put to the test last summer in Paris. At her first Olympic Games, Qiu executed a challenging uneven bars routine with fluid precision and a firm landing.

"I was about to burst into tears," she recalled. "When I finished and stood steady, I was incredibly emotional."

Her lead, however, was short-lived. The next competitor, Algeria's Kaylia Nemour, surpassed her score by 0.200 points to win gold. Qiu, the 2023 world champion on the apparatus, had to settle for silver.

The sting of missing gold was real. "There was inevitably a bit of a letdown in my heart," Qiu admitted.

Still, she cherished the achievement of reaching the podium on her Olympic debut. "To stand on the podium at my first Olympics, I am very happy just to be healthy and competing," she said.

Speaking to the students, Qiu openly shared the setbacks that have shadowed her career: knee surgery at 15 and a severe elbow injury last winter that halted her training for six months.

"Could I really return to competition?" she wondered, grappling with the pressures of physical rehabilitation and weight management.

"But I wasn't fighting alone," she emphasized, crediting her family, coaches, and support team for their unwavering belief.

Her comeback became a race against the clock for the 15th National Games this past November.

"I took every training session seriously, focusing on every deep breath before mounting the bar and every landing," she said.

The payoff came in Guangdong. After securing silver in the all-around, Qiu finally captured her first National Games gold on her signature event, the uneven bars.

"This has been a very difficult year. This gold medal is a wonderful gift to me," Qiu said. "It was not easy to persevere until today."

She described the fear and occasional pain from her healed elbow during training. "But once on the competition court, I forgot the injury. I just wanted to give my very best."

The national champion then shifted focus from her own accolades to the potential seated before her. Her journey from a curious child in a gym to a world-class athlete served as vivid inspiration.

"I hope you can embrace the sports spirit during the school routines. Do not fear difficulties, and do not give up. Challenge yourselves and become the champion in the arena of your own life," she encouraged. ■