China's Han Guifei, a former wheelchair rugby athlete, secured a silver medal in archery at the Paris ParaGames, reflecting on how rugby helped him overcome his 2005 accident.
PARIS, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's Han Guifei, who once competed in wheelchair rugby at the Beijing Paralympics, won a silver medal in archery at the Paris Games on Sunday.
Han expressed gratitude that wheelchair rugby helped him recover from the darkness following a horrific accident in 2005 and felt fortunate to play archery, which brought him more exciting moments.
The 37-year-old father of two was still emotional when recalling the accident that led to his disability.
"I was working in a board factory when I was 19. My colleague made an operational fault and all the boards piled on me," Han said. "I was lucky that I survived, but I could not move at all. I didn't know how to live like that. I didn't want to go out. I felt I was strange."
While undergoing rehabilitation at a hospital in 2006, Han was introduced to a wheelchair rugby team in Beijing.
"My elder brother, who took care of me at that time, encouraged me to give it a try as he thought it would be helpful for my recovery," said Han.
It benefited not only Han's body but also his mind. "We all sat on wheelchairs every day. We played together and joked around. Gradually, I felt I was myself again. I used to be very outgoing."
However, rugby was too intense for Han. "There were always crashes." After the Beijing Paralympics, he got married and took a long break.
When he had the opportunity to try archery in 2014, Han found it suited him much better.
"But it definitely is not as easy as it looks," said Han. "Every time you draw the bow, it's like holding a large bucket of water."
Han remained resilient in training. "I don't want to be left behind. I want to show my best."
Competing as an archer for the first time at the Paralympic Games in Paris, Han felt extremely nervous.
"That's the worst ever final for me," said Han after losing to American Jason Tabansky 134-131. "I had my chances, but I didn't take them."
His eyes were wet after the medal ceremony, and he shed more tears when talking about his family.
"I really want to thank my wife. She always needs to take care of our daughter and son by herself. My parents and brother also support me a lot," said Han.
"I just want to spend more time with them after the Games, and I will come back stronger," he added. ■