From Hoop to Haute: The Stunning Transformation of a Basketball-Wielding Beauty into a Swanning Sensation

Tien Hong Diem is a normal girl like any other child. I live very happily and peacefully with my family in Ma Nhai town, Luc Luong district, Yunnan province, China. However, her life suddenly changed after a terrible traffic accident. In October 2000, Hong Diem – then less than 4 years old – was playing with two friends on the highway when suddenly a large truck suddenly rushed in and crushed her legs.

The girl, who was only 4 years old at the time, had to have her entire lower body removed from the pelvis down and became disabled. Hong Diem’s ​​family looked at their peers playing and running and felt extremely sad for their child.

Life in a village was already lacking, all the money saved by Hong Diem’s ​​family was used up so she could undergo leg amputation surgery. Therefore, fitting a prosthetic leg for her was truly an overwhelming task for the family at that time. So Hong Diem’s ​​grandfather cut a basketball and fitted it to his granddaughter to help her move more easily with her arms. That’s why Tien Hong Diem is nicknamed “basketball girl”.

However, it is not because of this unfavorable situation that Hong Diem’s ​​parents overprotect their children. Hong Diem’s ​​parents always encourage their children to courageously face life’s difficulties and solve them, not to be sad, tormented or cry every day. To them, only by allowing children to experience constant failures can they become stronger and stronger. Thanks to that, the little girl rekindled hope for life.

A big turning point in life came to Hong Diem when she received 100,000 yuan (equivalent to 330 million VND) from the government to go for treatment at a famous hospital in Beijing. It was also during her time here that Hong Diem met the coach of the Chinese national swimming team. She met and discussed with Hong Diem’s ​​parents so she could learn to swim. Hong Diem’s ​​parents are very supportive of this and they are confident that their child will be able to do it. Hong Diem’s ​​parents know that this is the time for her to get out of her comfort zone so she can be more independent.

That’s right, Hong Diem practiced very hard. Every day Hong Diem practices swimming 10,000 meters in 4 hours. Without legs, she spends a lot of time training her waist and abdominal muscles. She has to work and try many times harder than others. and most of all, she overcame her inferiority complex when she saw that the people around her were healthy and without any blemishes, while she herself had no lower body but still possessed a Large scar on buttocks. Thanks to her efforts in training and going through a series of intense exercises, Hong Diem finally brought herself glory.

In 2008, Hong Diem was selected for the first time in the Yunnan province swimming team. In 2009, she participated in the swimming championship for people with disabilities and won one gold medal and two silver medals. In 2010, she continued to win a gold medal and 3 silver medals at the Chinese Paralympics. In 2015, Hong Diem qualified to attend the Rio Paralympic Games. In 2016, she won 9th place at these Olympics. At the 2019 Tianjin Paralympic Games, Hong Diem won a silver medal and a bronze medal.

Hong Diem shared: ” There was a time when I felt that God was unfair in bringing misfortune to my life. But when I grew up, I realized that only my own efforts and efforts can fix it.” those injustices” . She added that her father often told her : “Your achievements are far beyond what we expected. If you fail, don’t be discouraged, just try your best, there is nothing to regret.”