Badminton superstar Lin Zhiruan, who battled through 28 rounds of chemotherapy for bone cancer, clinched a bronze medal with her "one-armed" determination—once even contemplating giving up on life altogether.

In the Hong Kong badminton team, there’s a beautiful and charming young woman who showed early promise in the sport, paving the way for a professional career. Sadly, when she was just 10 years old, she was diagnosed with cancer—forcing her to step away from badminton altogether and embark on a grueling 18-month journey of chemotherapy. There were moments during this painful process when she seriously considered giving up. Yet, determined to keep going, she eventually underwent the challenging surgery to remove her left arm and replace it with a metal prosthesis. Undeterred, she picked up her racket once more and returned to the court, ultimately competing at the Paralympic Games—and even making history by winning a bronze medal at the Asian Games, inspiring countless others with her incredible story of resilience and determination. She goes by the nickname "IG Goddess" on social media, thanks to her adorable looks that have captured the hearts of fans worldwide.

Currently 24 years old, Zhi Nuan is Hong Kong's para-badminton representative. She first discovered her talent for badminton in third grade when she participated in a school activity. Since then, she practiced daily with her younger brother, Zi Qian, dreaming of one day becoming professional athletes together. Unfortunately, a serious illness shattered her dreams: at the age of 10, she suddenly began experiencing persistent, excruciating pain in her left shoulder. Initially, she assumed it was just a bad injury from playing badminton, but despite repeated treatments and massages, her condition didn’t improve. It wasn’t until a hospital examination that she was diagnosed with bone cancer."When I was a kid, watching TV, all I ever saw were cancer patients in their terminal stages—people who seemed to pass away very quickly. Back then, I wondered if maybe my own time was running out..."

Zhinan and her younger brother Ziqian have been close since childhood, even practicing together in elementary school with the dream of becoming athletes. (Provided by the interviewee)

28 rounds of chemotherapy led to hair loss—Mom stayed by my side, accompanying me through every night in the hospital.

At the time, her classmates were all preparing for their transition to Secondary One, but her path was vastly different—she had to be hospitalized immediately for treatment. This was followed by a grueling year-and-a-half-long hospital stay, during which she underwent 14 rounds of chemotherapy, one major surgery, and another 14 rounds of chemotherapy. Soon after starting treatment, she lost all her hair, and as her condition worsened midway through the regimen, doctors even had to increase her medication dosage to combat the illness more effectively.

"Whenever I'm awake, I feel like vomiting and suffer from a severe headache—so bad that I can’t even get into bed. My body is completely weak, and I’m unable to eat; I’ve had to receive an IV drip instead. All I can do is keep telling myself to sleep."

Now radiant and ethereal Zhinuan once worried about hair loss during her chemotherapy treatment. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

Hospital life grew harder day by day, but what kept Zhi Nuan going was her mother’s meticulous and loving care. Zhi Nuan recalls how her mom stayed by her side every night—though all she could do was sleep on a foldable chair-bed placed beside the hospital bed, leaving herself with chronic back and bone pain. And whenever Zhi Nuan would wake up suddenly in the dead of night, feeling nauseous or even losing control, her mom would rush to clean up after her.

"Since both bowel movements and vomit need to be measured, every time I throw up or have diarrhea, she even steps in afterward to carefully measure exactly how much I’ve vomited and how much I’ve excreted."

Chemotherapy left her with a persistent lack of appetite and even developed an aversion to hospital meals. So, her mom started carefully planning and preparing her favorite dishes every day. To this day, she still deeply cherishes everything her mom did for her. Among these gestures, what touched her the most was the diary her mom wrote back then—detailing everything from the first day she was admitted, through the bone marrow extraction and testing. Her mom described how I’d cry out in pain each time the doctor pierced my bones. After reading the diary, she could truly feel the heartache her mom must have endured during that difficult time.

Zhinan used to walk onto the court every day, but during chemotherapy, she had to remain bedridden and rest for extended periods. (Photo by Huang Zhihong)

As for her younger brother Ziqian, who was only 5 years old at the time, he remained completely unaware of his sister’s illness—all he knew was that neither she nor their mom had come home. As a result, the entire family could only gather together on weekends at the hospital or at Ronald McDonald House, making these moments the highlight of each week for the two siblings.

Family support became Cheng Zhi's greatest motivation in her fight against cancer. Fortunately, she underwent surgery to remove half of her left upper arm bone and replace it with a metal implant. Since then, the cancer cells have remained under control, and she was finally able to go home and resume her normal life—though her arm now bears a long, deep scar.

A long scar remains on the left arm after the surgery. (Photo by Huang Zhihong)

Reawaken the long-dormant badminton dream

Fresh from recovering from a serious illness, Zhi Nuan once again plunged into another low point. At the time, she returned to the court, determined to make up for the year and a half she’d lost. Yet, she soon realized she could no longer keep up with her peers—her progress had stalled entirely. To make matters worse, even simple tasks like running became painfully difficult because of her inability to fully swing her left arm. This realization eventually led her to consider giving up basketball altogether."After surgery on my left arm, I couldn’t swing it forcefully or raise it higher than shoulder level—back then, I thought there was no way I’d ever be able to compete as an athlete again."Fortunately, her younger brother Ziqian, who has been playing increasingly well, continuously encourages her to keep up with the game. The two siblings even team up to compete in regional tournaments together.

"When I was little, I taught him how to play, but after he was discharged from the hospital, he ended up becoming my personal coach."

Zhinan and her younger brother Ziqian occasionally compete in mixed doubles tournaments, consistently winning awards. (Photo provided by the interviewee, captured by Huang Zhihong)

Originally, she picked up badminton again only to practice with her younger brother. After graduating, she landed a job at a film production company, drifting further and further away from her dream of becoming an athlete. Yet, the chaotic lifestyle—sleeping through the day and working endless overtime—eventually led her to lose sight of herself. That’s when, three years ago, she serendipitously met her current badminton coach, reigniting the long-dormant passion she’d once had. Last year, she made the bold decision to quit her job and go full-time as an athlete—and promptly began making waves on the international stage. Earlier this year, she earned recognition by clinching the "Women's SU5 Singles Round-Robin Bronze Medal" at the 2018 Asian Para Games, followed by another impressive bronze in the "Women's SU5 Singles event" at the 2018 Australian Para Badminton International.

Zhinan joined the Para Badminton national team last year and has since gone on to win medals at various international competitions. (Provided by the interviewee)

On the field, she pours her heart and sweat into striving for outstanding achievements; off the field, she draws on her own experiences to inspire those walking the same path. Recently, Zhi Nuan has been actively attending numerous sharing sessions and charity events, and this Saturday (the 25th), she’ll even receive the 4th "Outstanding Little Warrior" award from the Life Little Warriors Association. Looking back, she admits that being able to return to professional sports after many years is already a source of immense fulfillment—but she still harbors ambitious dreams, aiming to reach even greater heights by competing in the Paralympics and repaying her family’s unwavering support along the way. Above all, she hopes to become a role model for others chasing their own dreams.

"Even if you're going through a low point in your life, don't give up on your dreams—because one day, your persistence will make those dreams come true."

As for Ziqian, who is now a badminton coach, he also said,

"As a family member of the patient, you certainly feel the pain no less than they do—but you must also stay strong, because without your loved one’s encouragement, it would be incredibly difficult for them to keep going."