Zhang Yufei: "I’ve also thought about giving up and running away—after all, as long as I don’t have any regrets in life, that’s enough."

•3 min read
Zhang Yufei: "I’ve also thought about giving up and running away—after all, as long as I don’t have any regrets in life, that’s enough."
On December 8, Beijing time, the series of events featuring national gold medalists visiting Macau, organized by the Sports and Olympic Committee of Macao, China, continued. During the event held on the 7th, where Olympic gold medalists visited Macau Labour School Secondary School, Zhang Yufei also answered questions from the host.
Zhang Yufei said: "Actually, everyone might have seen online that I commented I don’t particularly enjoy swimming. But I’m fortunate enough to have discovered where my true talent lies. I believe every Olympic champion here is naturally gifted—after all, that’s what allows them to reach the very top in their respective events."
“But many ordinary people—like our younger siblings—well, I don’t know what your future paths will look like, or whether you’ll manage to discover where your true talents lie. All I can say is that when I was training for swimming, even on days when I didn’t feel like it, deep down I’d think: ‘I want to give up. I’m being cowardly. I just want to run away.’ It’s exactly the same as when you face challenges in your studies.”
“I’m just a regular person, too—not someone like the ones you see on TV every day. Zhang Yufei may smile so much and stay so optimistic, but that doesn’t mean she can keep moving forward with positive energy all the time.”
“But I’m pretty forgetful. Every time I wake up after a good night’s sleep, I think to myself: ‘Ah, another day has begun.’ And in this new day, whether I’m happy or not doesn’t really matter—either way, I’ll get through it. So I’ve decided I must embrace the day and do my best. Actually, right now I’m still practicing, but guess what? I’m no longer training—I’m on break instead.”
"Even when I was still training before the Olympics, I knew deep down that I wanted to give it my best shot toward my goals—because even if, in the end, I didn’t bring home a single gold medal, I felt like I performed pretty well. So, I hope you can all move forward in your studies and careers without any regrets. And please remember: Your parents and everyone around you who care about you are rooting for you more than anything—they just want you to live life happily and safely."
The "Vitality Tour 2024," a series of events featuring China's national gold medalists visiting Macao, is organized by the Macao Sports and Olympic Committee. The two-day event took place on December 7 and 8, Beijing time. Among the latest group of national athletes set to visit Macao are current swimmers Zhang Yufei, Sun Jiajun, Wang Shun, as well as Liu Yang, among others.

Source: DongqiuDi

Recommended:
Wang Shun presented his doctoral dissertation proposal at Ningbo University—his thesis focuses on the 200-meter individual medley.
These days, a single meal packs too many calories! An academician warns: A mild sense of hunger can actually activate longevity genes.
China's swimming team announces roster for the Short Course World Championships
New national standard for swimming goggles to be implemented next year
Improving swimming technique: What should you focus on?
Husker and Bobby Finke Named Golden Goggle Award Winners for Athlete of the Year
How swimming talent is developed


Subscribe to Swimming Magazine—right here!👇
Submissions are welcome! Please send your manuscripts to the editorial office of *Swimming* magazine at: [email protected]

Share this article

Related Articles