Xiao Xiang Wen's Journey From a Regular Athlete to a Paralympic Bonze Medalist

Taiwan has secured its first medal at the Paralympics in Paris with a bronze in taekwondo, thanks to Xiao Xiang Wen.

Transcript

00:00A proud moment for Taiwan's para-athlete, Xiao Xiangwen, who won the country's first

00:05medal at the Paris Paralympics.

00:07Despite being defeated in the semi-finals by his Israeli opponent, Asav Yasser, 6-16

00:13in the men's 57kg K44 category, he still claimed bronze in the event.

00:19It was a significant achievement for the athlete, winning a medal at his first Paralympics.

00:25Twenty-five-year-old Xiao was not always a para-athlete.

00:29Four years ago, a car accident caused a serious injury to his right arm.

00:33At first, I would mock myself, because when I was injured, I thought I was injured.

00:38I was an ordinary athlete, and this road was probably broken.

00:42I took a break for a while, and I was encouraged by my girlfriend and family.

00:48So I thought I would walk on the path of a para-athlete, and I have come this far.

00:55With the unwavering support of those around him, his family, girlfriend and coach, Xiao

01:00found the strength to persevere and reignite his dream.

01:04Before I got injured, I had a dream of stepping onto the world stage, but I couldn't.

01:11So when I became a para-athlete, I thought, hey, I finally have a chance to make this

01:15dream come true.

01:16With a positive attitude and relentless determination, Xiao made it onto the podium at the Paralympics

01:22in Paris.

01:23His bronze medal is not only a dream come true for Xiao, but also serves as a beacon

01:28of hope and inspiration for others who have faced similar challenges.

01:33No matter if it's the day before or the day after, we have to be optimistic to face it.

01:37Because the more optimistic you are, the clearer your life will be in the future.

01:44If you are pessimistic, you won't be able to achieve anything.

01:48Now as a Paralympic bronze medalist, Xiao is more determined than ever to set an example

01:53for others and continue his pursuit of even greater achievements, gold at the Paralympics

01:59in LA in 2028.

02:01James Lin, Alex Chen and Sunny Chi for Taiwan Plus.