An inspiration tale, of how this woman never gave up on herself or her dreams, and just, pursued it, endlessly, translated…
The table tennis competitor, Sarfi from the Yuanxian Tribe of Kaohsiung is a very rare “angel with broken wings” in the sports realm, she was born without her right arm, as she’d tried receiving the table tennis ball, she’d fallen down, and she was once, diagnosed with depression, but still worked, very hard, chased her dreams all she could, proved that “nothing is impossible”. In 2013, she’d received the “Asian Youths Handicapped Table Tennis’s Women’s Single’s Competitions Championship”, later, she’d supported the children in poverty stricken homes to send them to schools, she’d received the Presidential Educational Awards back in 2014.
With her bright laughter, Sarfi, before her success, she’d, gone through many lows in her life. Because she only has one arm, she was, often, made fun of by other competitors in competition. She’d recalled how once she was competing, in the restrooms, she’d heard other competitors talked, “Your opponent has one less hand, shouldn’t you go easy on her?”, it’d made her angry, she’d thought, we’ll see about that. In the end, she’d played outstandingly, and even the woman she was playing against told her, “You’re, actually, quite amazing!”
Sarfi, who’d given off this positive shine about her, had admitted to going through her lows, and she’d disclosed of how she was, diagnosed with depression in her college years. She’d pointed out, that in her three years of high school, NOBODY in her class wanted to practice with her, she could only, play with the machines that shot out the balls. In order to reduce her families’ against her being in sports, after she’d practiced until nine in the evenings, she’d still, studied hard, to catch up with her academia. Sarfi said, that without her right arm and shoulder, the hardest for her was maintaining her balance, every time she’d fallen down because she tried to catch a ball, she’d felt, defeated, but gladly, an older schoolmate showed her some tips, and, it’d helped her find the best way to play the sport that suited her most.
She said, so long as you’re confident, there’s nothing you can’t do, like rock climbing, driving, swimming, she can also do just like those able-bodied people, the important things is how willing are you, to learn. She said, that she’d received help from the World Vision Org, she’d wanted to give back to the society too, she’d studied in the social work department for her undergrad, and, she’s now studying in the special educations graduate department in Tainan University, hoping she could, help more people in the future.
And so, she was, laughed at by others, because of her handicap, and, it must’ve hurt, being different from everybody else, but, this young woman found her strength, and pursued something she became, good at, and that still just shows, that the only thing standing between you and your dreams, is you. You are your own, hardest obstacle to get over, but once you’d, gotten over whatever it is that you can’t, everything in life will fall into its, rightful places for you, just like it had, for this young woman here.