Deng Yaping is the greatest female player in the history of table tennis. She has been learning to play with her father since she was five years old. She joined the national team in 1988 and won the 14 world championship successively. She has been ranked first in the world table tennis for eight consecutive years and is the longest-serving female athlete in the world. She became the only athlete who won the Olympic table tennis gold medal in succession, and together with Qiao Hong, she won four Olympic gold medals, including singles and doubles.
When she was a child, Deng Yaping was determined to be an excellent athlete because her father was a sports coach at that time. However, she is short and short, which does not meet the requirements of sports schools at all. The door of the sports school can't be opened to her. So, the young Deng Yaping learned table tennis from her father, who stipulated that she must serve and catch the ball at 100 every day after physical training class. Although Deng Yaping is only seven or eight years old, in order to make his skills more skilled and his basic skills more solid, he tied sandbags on his legs and replaced the "wooden sign" with an iron sign. How precious it is for a child! This will not only make the body suffer, but also bear great psychological pressure. Little she, every time she flashes, unfolds and pranks, can be described as a struggle! The leg is swollen! The palm is worn out! It happens all the time! But he never complains or shouts tired! The father in charge of training sometimes cries with pain! There is always a reward for giving. Due to Deng Yaping's persistence, at the age of 10, she won the team and singles championships in the national youth table tennis competition. After entering the national team, Deng Yaping overfulfilled the training task. When the team stipulated that she should practice until 1 1, she extended herself to 1 1: 45. When she trains until 6 pm, she will practice until 6: 45 or 7: 45. At the end of the training, she will practice until nine o'clock in the evening. Deng Yaping often misses training time, so she makes instant noodles for herself. When practicing unilateral attack in the team, Deng Yaping still tied sandbags on his legs, facing the left and right movement of two male sparring partners, it took two hours to play! During the multi-ball training, the coach slammed the ball, and Deng Yaping opened his eyes and meticulously caught the ball every time. One after another, there were more than 1000 balls. After each training class, Deng Yaping's clothes, shoes and socks are soaked with sweat, and sometimes even the floor is soaked. It is necessary to change clothes, shoes and socks and even change tables to practice again. Deng Yaping has long been engaged in intensive training. From the neck to the toes, many parts of her body were injured. In order to cope with the strain of waist muscles, she had to wear a wide waist protector. The knee joint is swollen with fat pads, and the ankle joint is almost covered with bone spurs. Usually, she has to endure it. If it really hurts, she has a needle to close it, and the soles of her feet are bleeding, so she picks it up and wraps it with a layer of gauze to practice. Even if the wound is infected, you should continue to practice squeezing pus.
Deng Yaping's outstanding achievements have changed the traditional concept of selecting athletes only among tall people in the world table tennis. IOC President Samaranch was also fascinated by Deng Yaping's style and skills, personally presented her with the award and invited her to visit the headquarters of the National Olympic Committee in Lausanne.
The inspirational story of Deng Yaping studying in Cambridge University.
Get up at 5 o'clock every morning to study.
1On February 26th, 998, Deng Yaping flew to Cambridge with mixed feelings. For her, this is naturally a very rare opportunity, but it is also a difficult start.
"The next day is the day of school. There are nine students in the class. The classroom is small. Nine desks and chairs are arranged in a semicircle towards the blackboard. The teacher asked everyone to introduce themselves first. Next, I gave you two handouts and started the lecture. There is no discipline in the class, and the way of explanation is very casual. When the teacher gave a lecture, the students scrambled to answer questions. I finished my class in the fog cover of Yunshan. Four or five weeks passed, and I spent fifteen or six hours every day, but the effect was not great, and the improvement of English level was not significant. As a transfer student, it is too difficult to catch up with other students. In addition, there are no textbooks, so we can only get handouts from teachers in each class. This kind of teaching method is also difficult for me to adapt to. "
"The living environment is not satisfactory. Most international students studying in Britain live in British homes arranged by the school, and I am no exception. I want to live in an English home. On the one hand, I can learn more about British customs and people's feelings. On the other hand, I can have more opportunities for English conversation. But my landlady's house is too far from school, and the room and meals are very high. In addition to paying more than 200 pounds for rent every month, you have to pay more than 0/00 pounds for meals. Together, the two items cost about 5000 yuan a month. For me to study in the UK at my own expense, cherishing money is as important as cherishing time. "
"I remember the first time I came to school by bike in rain-proof sportswear. Many students were puzzled: Why did the world champion come to school by bike? Yes, world champions are also mortal. Everything I have is bought with sweat. Hard-won, I must cherish it very much. Difficulties in study and life bother me, and I am eager to change this situation. "
"Shortly after I arrived in England, I wanted to send some money home. However, I went to the post office to get the list, but I didn't know how to fill it out. The post office pointed to the list, but I looked blank. I stood in front of the post office, my eyes numb. What can I do? Ask who is going? " I asked, but I still didn't understand. Finally, I had to leave in anger.
"Before school started, in order to familiarize me with the environment, the landlord drove me around the school. The next day, people didn't send it. Although I bought a bike, I can't find the way to school. I turned a corner and went to school. Always punctual, I became a late student. I was so anxious that I blurted out a few explanations, but I couldn't understand them. I can't forget the taste and embarrassment now! "
Newham College, where Deng Yaping attended, is a small college affiliated to Cambridge University, similar to the domestic language college. The students here are mainly foreign students, and Deng Yaping is the only international student from Chinese mainland.
"When I first arrived in Cambridge, although I worked hard, the effect was not obvious. I know, this is because my language foundation is still quite weak. If I want to stand up and study hard in an elite university like Cambridge, I need to go all out to fight. Just like physical training, there is no shortcut to learning, and there is no pie in the sky. Let's fight for it ourselves. " In order to catch up with her homework, Deng Yaping gets up early and only sleeps for a few hours every day.
"In the first month or two, I couldn't understand what the teacher said above. I copied everything the teacher wrote on the blackboard. When you get home, look it up in the dictionary and read it yourself. Everyday life is monotonous, and the class time is four and a half hours. There is a lot of homework after class. Eating seems very troublesome to me. I only have an hour's rest at noon. I usually don't go back to the dormitory, just eat the sandwiches I brought in the morning and then read for a while. I often eat my own instant noodles, vegetables, tomatoes and eggs in the evening. I study until 12 almost every day before going to bed. "
Although the foundation is worse than other students, she is always unwilling to surpass others. This competitive mentality gradually began to change: "After all, the foundation is different, from athletes to students is a very big turning point, and there must be a process for learning to rise."
Back in Tsinghua, Deng Yaping's graduation thesis was titled "The History and Development of National Football Team". From the opening report, to the first submission of the paper, and even to the final revision of the paper, Deng Yaping not only reached the standard for each item, but also completed it step by step ahead of schedule.
"I finally put on my bachelor hat. At the graduation ceremony, I addressed the teacher in fluent English. "
The inspirational story of Deng Yaping attending Nottingham University.
It can be seen from her learning motivation that she is a world champion.
In September, 20001year, Deng Yaping entered the University of Nottingham from Tsinghua to study for a master's degree. "I originally preferred Cambridge, where the scenery was lovely and fascinated me. But I went to Nottingham University because Nottingham University has the best foreign language department in Britain. "
"My tutor doesn't know me very well, and seems a little uneasy, worried about whether an athlete can finish his studies. I sincerely said to my tutor: I may be worse than your other students, please take more trouble. I may take a course that others can understand twice or even many times, others will take a year, and I may take a year and a half or even two years. But no matter how hard and how long it takes, I will take my studies down! I am a very strong and stubborn person, so I will try my best to do everything well. "
"In Britain, there are two ways to study for a master's degree. A kind of exam-oriented education. That is, one class in the last class until all courses are passed; The other is to do research with the tutor and write a paper after the research. If the thesis passes, I can graduate. I take the second method. What is more difficult than language is the way of learning here, which is really different from that in China. I have my own tutor, but I don't meet often. He often provides me with reading lists, and I go to the library or university to find books and read them. Ask him to meet and answer questions if you have any questions. At first, I was not used to this way. What's more, my major is "Contemporary Studies in China", an unpopular major, which seems to have nothing to do with sports. Even the library may not have relevant materials. In this way, I have to look in different libraries and universities. However, it seems that this is also one of the important gains of my study abroad. The new way of learning has taught me how to find ways to achieve my goals in complex situations. "
"When I play ball, my eyesight is 1.5. After going to school, it dropped rapidly, and now one eye is 0.6. Learning is completely different from playing ball. I don't get enough sleep. I always feel sleepy in class. I can't open my eyes. The more I sit, the more sleepy I get. I want to hold my eyelids up with a stick. But the teacher is sitting opposite, and you can't sleep, let alone slip the number. This feeling was particularly obvious at first. Later, I gradually got used to this life, knew how to arrange my work and rest, and found some rules. "
"My research topic is From Little Foot Girl to Olympic Champion, and the example is China Women's Table Tennis Team. In order to study this topic, I read some research materials about female athletes in China, most of which were written by foreigners. These foreigners don't really understand the life and growth experience of female athletes in China, so their research is not in place. I hope that from me, someone will really pay attention to the research on women in China and women athletes in China. I also hope that by studying abroad, I can try my best to avoid misunderstandings caused by cultural differences between the East and the West, so as to better introduce China and let the world know about China. In international sports, it is not easy for people to understand and accept your opinions. "
In her study, she showed energy when she played ball. It is said that the courses arranged by the teacher are saturated, there are classes every day of the week, and the homework on weekends is not good. After finishing homework, you have to prepare for next week's class, and so on. But she still feels that she hasn't absorbed enough.
No wonder, she was really worried. As soon as Deng Yaping put down her racket, she became a young member of the Athletes' Committee of the International Olympic Committee. When she went to the meeting, she couldn't wait to speak fluent English. As a result, the table tennis world champion quietly sprouted a desire to enter the advanced class early and March to the master next year.
In the course of attending classes at Nottingham University, Deng Yaping always seized every opportunity to speak. The teacher joked that judging from her study ability, she was the world champion. "Class is over, and I have to hurry to find another teacher to do individual tutoring. This is a separate tutoring time specially arranged by the school for each student's different problems in learning. Every time before going out for a meeting, the teacher will help me prepare my speech materials and correct my pronunciation, intonation and way of speaking. In addition, the school also gave me a special course to teach me how to interview in English. At school, I live a typical one-third life of college students, which is no different from those ordinary campus girls. "
"I must get this master's degree, and I must get it at a foreign university." In that case, she may win another first prize among the Olympic champions in China. As a student of Nottingham University, Deng Yaping has a tight schedule every day. "In addition to taking classes in the language department, I have to take classes in the English department. There is still a lot of homework after class, and the lunch break is only one hour. "
Deng Yaping's inspirational story in the International Olympic Committee
"There is another meaning for me through the language barrier. At that time, I was a member of the Athletes' Committee of the International Olympic Committee and was also in charge of a project of the ITTF. If you can't communicate with others, then everything is zero. At the same time, there is also a public image, which means that I represent both China and China athletes, so the mental outlook is very important. "
A year later, Deng Yaping read a 35,000-word paper from a woman with little feet to an Olympic champion in English, facing a strict examiner. This paper discusses the great development and changes of women's sports in China and China with detailed and vivid materials and clear and powerful arguments. The unanimous conclusion of the on-site examiner is: pass unconditionally at one time! On February 22nd, 2002, 65438+, she got a master's degree. Mr Samaranch praised her for "having the key to the world".
At this point, from 65438 to 0997, Deng Yaping has spent nearly six spring and autumn periods on campus, turning the primary school "education" into a graduate degree. Deng Yaping admits that from athletes to students, especially an international student, she has made no less efforts than playing ball. "From knowing nothing about English to skillfully communicating with professors in English, from strangers to friends all over the UK, from confusion at the beginning to meeting challenges later, every step has been very hard. But living abroad opened a door for me and let me really understand the world. "
At the same time, as a member of Beijing's Olympic bid, she went to Moscow to help Beijing win the right to host the 2008 Olympic Games.
2001July 13, Deng Yaping appealed to IOC members in fluent English: Please give China athletes a chance to host the Olympic Games!
There is no end to knowledge. In 2002, like a long-distance runner, she stood at a new starting line and started a new struggle-confidently studying for a doctorate in economics in Cambridge, with the research direction of "the influence of the 2008 Olympic Games on contemporary China", and Deng Yaping's "China Studies" continued.
On February 24, 2003, Deng Yaping, who was studying for a doctorate in Cambridge, returned. In BOCOG, the new busyness began again. "Peter Newland, my tutor in Cambridge, is a world-famous economist who has studied China's economy for more than 30 years. He knows the importance of the 2008 Olympic Games in stimulating China's economy, and it will have high economic research value. He thinks that I can not only serve my motherland when I return to China, but also collect first-hand precious materials for my thesis. Therefore, he specially authorized me to study while working in China. The future work is very hard, but this is a very good opportunity. "
During the Spring Festival holiday in 2004, in order to write her doctoral thesis at Cambridge University, she gave up the reunion with her relatives, bought a pile of frozen jiaozi and ate jiaozi with her every day.
"Some people may think I'm asking for it. Some people even say that you have won many honors. You can live a good life without a degree. You don't have to work so hard to get a degree. You may even find a "gunman" to write a paper. But I didn't go to college to "gild". I just went to school to finish my dream of reading. In the contact with foreign friends, I deeply felt the lack of knowledge and poor communication. Although my foundation is not good, I don't want to take shortcuts by accident, not to mention the internationally renowned universities such as Tsinghua and Cambridge where I study are rigorous and there is no room for fraud! "
Jiaozi can be quick-frozen, but it is difficult for talents to be quick-frozen. Deng Yaping's academic success and brilliant playing table tennis are not actually due to her exceptional talent. On the contrary, she overcame one difficulty after another and won a new gold medal on the road of life with perseverance and positive attitude towards life, regardless of her studies or playing ball.
"I am still a member of the IOC Athletes' Committee, the Sports and Environment Committee and the Reform Committee. In particular, the members of the Athletes' Committee are all famous Olympic champions and have their own rights and interests. For a long time, I was the only Asian member. Therefore, I am not only the representative of China, but also the representative of Asia, and I have the responsibility to fight for the rights and interests of athletes in Asia and third world countries. "Thanks to Deng Yaping's efforts, the Athletes' Committee has proposed to the IOC Executive Committee that when recommending IOC members, there must be an Asian member (***8 people).
And she has been studying for a doctorate in Cambridge for the second year. When talking about his studies, Deng Yaping said, "It's so difficult, so difficult, and I feel a lot of pressure. I just stretch all day, so I feel particularly hard. But I want to thank this experience as a student, because it let me see another world and find my new value. If the winners of the Asian Games, the World Table Tennis Championships and the Olympic Games are three grand slams in my table tennis career, then getting a bachelor's degree from Tsinghua, a master's degree from Nottingham University and a doctorate from Cambridge is another grand slam I want to complete. "
Fight, fight, fight again! Whether as an athlete or a student, Deng Yaping is almost harsh on himself: "I must do well, I have no reason not to do well!" " This is a kind of confidence!