Secrets of Champion：Part I

Secrets of Champion (Photo by Liao Lulu)

Part I

Source: Popular Photograpjy

Life is always full of ups and downs. This is true with HouBin. Though a winner of three gold medals in the Paralympic Games and atorchbearer in the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, he has also undergone aperiod when no one cared about him. However, Hou Bin is more willing to showhis painstakingly obtained achievements and, through speeches, the philosophyof 「never be over-pleased by successes nor be over-saddened by failures in yourlife.」

Hou Bin would warm himself up before sports. This time, he is invited to be the goodwill ambassador insports for a donation activity organized by non-profit institutions for physically challenged children. All sorts of emotions welled up when he set eye on thetrack of the Beijing National Stadium, which was of great meanings to him. OnSeptember 6, 2008, the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games was held here. Hou Bin, as the main torchbearer, liftedhimself and his wheelchair up on a rope 165 times for 39 meters to the stadium』stop simply with strength of his arms in three minutes, and lit the Paralympic caldron,which moved people all over the world.

Wonderful Transformation

On September 6, 2008, the opening ceremony of the 2008 BeijingParalympic Games was held in the Beijing National Stadium. Hou Bin, as the maintorchbearer, lifted himself and his wheelchair up on a rope 165 times for 39meters to the stadium』s top simply with strength of his arms in three minutes,and lit the Paralympic caldron, which moved people all over the world.

Labeled with any of these prominent tags — Paralympic Games, champion, Paralympic Flame, SouthPole, North Pole, Gobi Challenge and United Nations — is legendary enough;however, Hou Bin has experienced them all.

Among those physically challenged stepping up onto thestage, Hou Bin is definitely the most attractive and influential one.

Once an athlete for ten years and now a speaker with tenyears of experience, Hou Bin has successfully transformed. Though seemingly anunwitting act, this was actually completed with painstaking efforts and drivenby the thought lasting for almost 30 years: As a physically challenged person,he would never allow himself to be segregated by others.

From striving for strength to transcending himself and tochallenging the limits, Hou Bin is always making progress. The American mediacall him 「China Bin」 while he likes calling himself 「Brother Hou.」 Unlike thosewho complain about the social unfairness, Hou Bin holds that there has neverbeen such a thing like fairness for the physically challenged; they can only livea meaningful life amidst unfairness.

It was the hottest afternoon in Zhangzhou since March. Ablack business car slowly pulled in the gymnasium gate of Zhangzhou No. 1 HighSchool.

One afternoon at the endof September 2015, Hou Bin, chin in hands, dozed off during interviewintervals.

In March 2015, Hou Bin attendedthe Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee Press Conference. As theonly physically challenged athlete who served as an image ambassador, he sharedhis inspirational experience at the Conference, and received several interviewslater on.

At the first sportsmeeting of the Tenth Xuan Zang Road Gobi Challenge, there was a competition fordonating to non-profit institutions. The referee Qu Xiangdong, a famous host ofCCTV, was encouraging Hou Bin to speed up and compete for the first place.

At 3:00 pm when the warm-up music stopped, the car doorswung open. Just the right time. Six hours ago, Hou Bin had gone through a rehearsaland discussed with relevant personnel of the school about each and everydetail, especially his showing up, 「It should be exactly three o』clock, nosooner nor later.」

With all the camera lenses focusing on him, Hou Bin, inhis well-pressed suit, waved and smiled as he stalked toward the audiences,「Call me Brother Hou, OK?」 The students exulted, 「Brother Hou! Brother Hou!」The screams of over 3,000 people resounded through the sky.

Hou Bin shared his growthexperience with over 3,000 teachers and students of Zhangzhou No. 1 High School,moving and encouraging them with his persistence and efforts. During his2.5-hour speech, Hou Bin kept energetic both on and off stage, though he was alreadysweat stained.

During his 2.5-hour speech, Hou Bin kept energetic bothon and off stage, though he was already sweat stained. After the speech, thestudents surged forward, quickly submerging this 1.82-meter-tall man with theircellphones and cameras lifted up high. 「May I have a look at your artificiallimb?」 「Can I hug you?」 Hou Bin gratified them all by giving his signature,taking photos with them and hugging them, grinning like a big boy.

The audiences』 feelings might be the most authentic: Assoon as the speech in Zhangzhou No. 1 High School was over, several girls intheir senior year caught up with Hou Bin』s car, pulling his sleeve and askingfor a signature, 「Your speech is much more inspiring than our Meeting for the100-Day Countdown to the College Entrance Examination!」

A brief moment of meditationbefore each speech is necessary for Hou Bin.

The audiences』 feelingsmight be the most authentic: As soon as the speech in Zhangzhou No. 1 HighSchool was over, several girls in their senior year caught up with Hou Bin』scar, pulling his sleeve and asking for a signature, 「Your speech is much moreinspiring than our Meeting for the 100-Day Countdown to the College EntranceExamination!」 Wherever he goes, Hou Bin, the embodiment of positivity in eyesof his fans, always receives as much popularity as entertainment stars do.

After the speech in ZhangzhouNo. 1 High School, the students surged forward, quickly submerging this1.82-meter-tall man with their cellphones and cameras lifted up high.

Before the Beijing 2022Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee Press Conference, Hou Bin was checking theagenda once again in avoidance of any mistakes.

Actually, it was no challenge for Hou Bin to speak infront of 3,000 people. Over the past decade, he has delivered more than 1,500speeches in 27 countries and regions for tens of thousands each time, from theUnited Nations and Doha Forum to schools for children of migrant workers,sharing his philosophy of life time and again.

In 2009, Hou Bin became the first Chinese youth todeliver a speech in the Youth Assembly at the United Nations, and it was also thefirst time for Chinese physically challenged people to attend this Assembly asa guest speaker. Hou Bin, called 「China Bin」 by the American media, stood underspotlights and talked in high spirits.

Hou Bin is considered reliable by many of his friends.Whenever he is free, they will invite him for sports, meals or chat, so as toderive some positivity from him. They also admire his handsome appearance andstrong figure. As an athlete, he managed to keep his weight at 60 kilograms;even till today, he is still strict on diets, refusing indulgent drinking andeating. As he always jokes, they are going to live as long as 120 years old.

Humorous as he is, Hou Bin excels in defusing everyone』sconfusion with his own outlooks on life and values, and talking more and morewithout indulging in exaggerations. During such talks, he would even refer to Buddhismsometimes, 「Speak good words, walk the right path, and do good deeds.」

The first sports meetingof the Tenth Xuan Zang Road Gobi Challenge was held in the Beijing NationalStadium. Hou Bin, as the goodwill ambassador, was taking a photo excitedly withthe mascot of the sports meeting at the stadium.

In the living room of HouBin』s house, there is a cabinet filled with testimonies of his greatachievements. On September 6, 2008, the opening ceremony of the 2008 BeijingParalympic Games was held in the Beijing National Stadium. Hou Bin, as the maintorchbearer, lifted himself and his wheelchair up on a rope 165 times for 39meters to the stadium』s top simply with strength of his arms in three minutes,and lit the Paralympic caldron, which moved people all over the world.

At the sports meeting ofthe Tenth Xuan Zang Road Gobi Challenge, Hou Bin, with his achievements knownto all, was invited by many participants for photos.

Mrs. Chen, a can importand export dealer in Zhangzhou, invited Hou Bin to share his inspirationalexperience with her employees. The employees were so excited to see Hou Bin thatthey invited him to take photos with them like star fans.

It was the hottestafternoon in Zhangzhou since March. Hou Bin, in his well-pressed suit, waved andsmiled as he stalked toward the audiences, 「Call me Brother Hou, OK?」 Thestudents exulted, 「Brother Hou! Brother Hou!」 The screams of over 3,000 peopleresounded through the sky. However, nobody knew that he had just taken somemedicine for the sore throat before stepping up onto the stage.

Hou Bin and his family wereinvited to attend a family program of BTV. He was taking pictures with otherfathers during the program.

It is common for Hou Binto take with him various kinds of medicine for throat treatment. Havingdelivered speeches for days on end, he was rather exhausted, but still hoped tospeak at his best on the stage.