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UPDATED: September-10-2008 Web Exclusive
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How a healthy coach and his blind athlete nurture the bonds of mutual trust to overcome limitations
By CHEN RAN

LEADING THE WAY: "It seems to me as if he is my eyes and I'm inside his body on the track-and-field arena," Li Duan, a blind triple jumper comments on his coach Jin Fan (Photo by WANG XIANG)

Around 9:20 p.m. Beijing time on September 6, the entrance of the Chinese delegation for the opening ceremony of the 13th Paralympic Games lit the passion of more than 80,000 home spectators at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest.

"The hails and applause from all corners of the stadium moved me almost to tears," Jin Fan, a track and field coach from the Chinese delegation, told Beijing Review.

Born in 1960 in northeast China's Liaoning Province, Jin, a former athlete, began his coaching career in 1990 after graduating from Shenyang Sports University.

It was not until the second half of 2002 that Jin started to train handicapped athletes.

"I was introduced to a training program jointly launched by my university and the provincial disabled persons' federation," Jin recalls. "To be honest, it was a big challenge to me, for I had no idea how to train them at the very beginning."

There were polio sufferers, amputees, mute and deaf trainees in Jin's team; Li Duan, a blind triple jumper, had the most severe physical conditions.

"For the athletes handicapped in their limbs, I would teach techniques of running or jumping with slower motions. For the mute and deaf, I would resort to writing instead of using sign languages, which I did not know. For those like Li who have absolutely no sight, the training session would be much harder," Jin continued.

Li had to give up his promising basketball career after a fire extinguisher explosion occurred in 1996 and was unable to resume his sporting life as a blind jumper until 1998. In 1999, Li won a gold medal in the men's long jump at the 7th Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled. Moreover, he made a stunning debut at his first ever Paralympic Games in Sydney in 2000, by winning two medals--silver and bronze--in triple jump and long jump respectively.

"The jumper with a visual impairment needs to know the exact starting point and running track with the help of the guide's claps. Therefore, there is nothing more important than nurturing mutual trust. That is the basis of the cooperation between Li and me," Jin told Beijing Review.

"There is no secret between us; we chat about everything, from trainings to family life. I still remembered the day he shared his feelings with me about the explosion accident for the first time," Jin recalls.

Li took responsibility for taking care of his mother and younger brother, as his father passed away soon after his accidental sight loss.

"He told me that he was pushed to see the harsher side of life with nothing to rely on; he felt like he matured overnight. I was deeply moved and made up my mind to nurture him as best as I could," Jin stated.

The training plans Jin set for Li were based on frequent reviews, research and workshops. However, they suffered a setback in training preparations for the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games. According to Jin, running straight is the precondition of creating a better result. But unfortunately, Li ran on the track edge in training and sprained his right foot. The pain inside, to the handicapped athlete, is far more difficult to cure than that on the body.

To protect Li from being hurt again, Jin said he would double check with the surrounding situations whenever Li was ready to jump.

The effort and attention to detail paid off. Li went on to win two gold medals in men's triple jump and long jump at Athens. This time in Beijing, Li says he won't preset any goal of having gold medals; the only thing in mind is to compete.

"I've spent most of the time with my coach since 2002. It seems to me as if he is my eyes and I'm inside his body on the track-and-field arena. But training aside, we are as close and familiar as family," Li told Beijing Review.

"The result is just a mark; the most important thing is to show the strong fortitude of the handicapped athletes at the Paralympic Games. I totally agree with what Deng Pufang, Chairman of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, has said--it's more meaningful to figure out what can be done rather than what can not be done by the handicapped," said Jin. "No pain no gain; Li deserves success. I've learnt a lot from him."

"Like Li said, we act as one on the track-and-field arena," he added.


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