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Nguyễn Thị Thanh Phúc celebrates her gold medal within the girls’s 20km strolling occasion on the SEA Video games 31. — VNA/VNS Picture Huy Hùng
By Thanh Nga
Seven years on from her final SEA Video games gold, ‘strolling queen’ Nguyễn Thị Thanh Phúc topped the rostrum as soon as once more on the SEA Video games 31.
The 32-year-old competed within the girls’s 20km strolling occasion, utilizing all of her expertise, bravery and preparation to beat rivals from Myanmar and Thailand to complete first with a time of 1:48.10.
Phúc’s outcome helped Vietnamese athletics have a complete of twenty-two gold medals, far exceeding their goal of 15-17 gold medals.
“I’ve attended many SEA Video games in addition to bigger occasions corresponding to Asian Video games and Olympics. Each time I compete, I really feel honoured and proud to be a Vietnamese, representing my nation. After all, I all the time attempt my greatest, however to win gold for the primary time, at dwelling, bringing the glory to the nation, I really feel excited and emotional,” Phúc mentioned.
“The victory within the Video games 31 is a victory for many individuals, not simply me. It was a protracted preparation course of. After the COVID-19 pandemic, all athletes are wanting to compete. Lots of people have given me hope and religion so this success means rather a lot for me,” Phúc added.
That is Phúc’s fourth medal on the regional greatest sports activities occasion after successes in 2011, 2013 and 2015.
After seven years of ready, Phúc tasted victory on the area’s greatest sports activities occasion. She devoted the gold medal to her daughter, her household and the individuals who have all the time supported, helped and motivated her to finish her mission.
On the 2019 Video games within the Philippines, Phúc suffered an damage and a technical error, so she didn’t win a medal. Phúc’s teammate Phạm Thị Thu Trang had the honour of topping the rostrum.
This 12 months, nonetheless, the outcome was the alternative. Trang made a technical error, so she was disqualified and misplaced the chance to defend her gold medal.
“I used to be not pressured earlier than competing on this class. I used to be just a bit apprehensive about method as a result of strolling has to give attention to method. If I get three playing cards, it can take two minutes to stroll once more, then it will likely be tough. Strolling just isn’t like working, strolling focuses on method,” Phúc mentioned.
On the age of 32, Phúc is among the most enduring feminine athletes in athletics, competing for the previous 19 years.
Phúc got here to athletics by chance. On the age of 13, she adopted her sister to the athletics discipline and caught the eyes of the coaches of the Đà Nẵng athletics staff.
Whereas strolling in Việt Nam continues to be unfamiliar and garners little curiosity, Phúc all the time strove to make fixed progress. She all the time tells herself that “the trail to success doesn’t have the footprints of the lazy individuals”, so she practices very significantly and often, no matter solar or rain, morning or night.
For her efforts, Phúc received 4 SEA Video games gold medals in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2022. She additionally received Asian bronze medal in 2012 and Asian silver medal in 2013, incomes a ticket to compete within the London Olympics 2012. On the nationwide championship, she has had no opponent since 2006.
Nguyễn Thị Thanh Phúc (proper) is among the most enduring feminine athletes in athletics, competing for 19 years and counting. — VNA/VNS Picture Huy Hùng
Ardour for strolling
In coaching and competing in athletics for practically 20 years, Phúc skilled many successes but in addition many difficulties and hardships. At one level she even retired. On the finish of 2016, after getting married to her long-time boyfriend Trần Viết Thắng and welcoming her first daughter, she retired.
Phúc mentioned she meant to modify to teaching as a result of she wished to focus extra on taking good care of her household due to her age and not on the peak of her efficiency after giving start. However due to her endless ardour for athletics, Phúc then determined to compete once more in early 2018.
She needed to lose 32kg to fulfil her dream of profitable the fourth gold medal on the SEA Video games 30 in 2019 within the Philippines. Nonetheless, luck didn’t come to Phúc as she all of the sudden obtained injured earlier than the event.
“In 2019, I had a coaching journey in Mũi Né to organize for the SEA Video games 30. My coaching indexes at the moment had been superb, similar to once I was single. Subsequently, I actually was very assured that I may win gold. Two months of coaching for me was a really very long time as a result of my daughter was simply over two years outdated. I missed her a lot. However after returning dwelling to Đà Nẵng, I by chance slipped and broke my left ankle,” Phúc recalled.
“At the moment, the physician suggested me to cease competing, however once I obtained the information that SEA Video games 30 solely had 10km class, as a substitute of 20km, so I attempted to take part. At the moment, the sports activities leaders suggested me to cease, however I didn’t change my thoughts. I felt that I may nonetheless do it, whether or not I failed or succeeded, I actually can be accountable.
“I believed I’d full my race nicely, however my ache reappeared on the finish of the race, inflicting me to be caught by the referee for a technical error and I misplaced gold.”
Following profitable the gold medal on the Video games 31, Phúc has no intention of retiring as a result of there’s at the moment no substitute.
“After all, I’ve thought of turning to teaching, however not this 12 months. Nonetheless, it definitely will not be lengthy due to my age. What I need now’s that extra individuals will likely be focused on and find out about strolling, which will be developed in sports activities competitions corresponding to working. Subsequently, I all the time work laborious at tournaments as a result of if I’ve achievements, I can encourage younger individuals to pursue this sport,” Phúc mentioned.
“Each lady has a youth to maintain. The youth of different women is gorgeous, however my youth is competing. Anybody who desires to recollect me will sort my identify on Google and it will likely be saved without end. For me, that’s the which means I carry, however I by no means assume that I lose my youth as a result of I can not exit with pals, cannot benefit from the joys of on a regular basis life. My youth is the age to dedicate.” VNS
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