Overcome pressure, achieve high results

At the meeting, Colonel, Doctor Nguyen Van Tuong mentioned the change in competition time, Oanh smiled and said: “When I received the sudden change in schedule, I didn’t have much time to think. My coach, the coaching board and I agreed to compete in both events. Although I decided to face the challenge, I was also worried and pressured about allocating my health and physical strength to complete this event well.”

Not letting down that determination, as soon as she started competing in the 1,500m final at 5:30 p.m. on May 9, 2023, Nguyen Thi Oanh accelerated far ahead of her opponents and easily won the Gold Medal with a time of 4 minutes 16 seconds 85. After finishing, Nguyen Thi Oanh did not even have time to celebrate her victory but immediately returned to the tunnel to enter the waiting area for the 3,000m obstacle course. In just 20 short minutes, Oanh had to participate in the 1,500m and 3,000m obstacle course finals, one of the "toughest" events in athletics. The 20-minute break was just enough for Oanh to move to the competition waiting room. It seemed that Oanh would have difficulty in the next round, but the petite girl once again had a smart, flexible strategy and decisive acceleration to finish first with a time of 10 minutes 34 seconds 37, 6 seconds ahead of the second place. "Really, there is no barrier that can stop the 32nd SEA Games champion Nguyen Thi Oanh from reaching her potential at this SEA Games", Mr. Tran Van Sy - Nguyen Thi Oanh's coach shared.

Strong determination

The weather at Morodok Techo Stadium was no longer heavy rain, nor too hot. The cool weather helped Nguyen Thi Oanh save some energy. With 4 Gold Medals in two days of competition, 12 Gold Medals after 3 SEA Games, those numbers speak to the dominance of Oanh "In" in the Southeast Asian arena.

However, few people know that Nguyen Thi Oanh almost had to give up running because of a strange disease. In 2014, while training with the national team, Nguyen Thi Oanh unfortunately contracted glomerulonephritis. In just 2 days, the SEA Games champion's body suddenly gained 5-6kg, causing edema from her neck to her face. After that, Oanh lost weight rapidly, only weighing 44kg, causing her lower body to atrophy.

  For months, Oanh had to fight the disease, her face was swollen, her muscles atrophied and she had to eat very strictly. The doctor once advised the "runner" born in 1995 to stop her career to protect her health. However, with her strong will and passion, and thanks to the spiritual support from her family, teachers and teammates, Oanh overcame the disease.

“When I knew I had to stop training, I was very sad. It felt like something was missing in my life. The sport I pursued was very hard, but when I stopped training, I felt empty and sad. At those times, I always thought about those who had it harder than me, those who had to use more willpower than me, why they still tried to overcome it to continue training and competing, why they could do it but I couldn’t. And that just urged me to be determined, I needed to live my life to the fullest, to burn out with my passion,” Nguyen Thi Oanh confided.

When her health stabilized, Nguyen Thi Oanh tried her best to practice again with the determination to return to the running track. It was that time of sweat and tears that brought Oanh "In" to the pinnacle of glory today. In the eyes of her teachers, Nguyen Thi Oanh is a person with strong will, strong determination, and high determination in training and competing. She is very passionate about sports and has a burning desire to bring glory to the Fatherland.

The 32nd SEA Games ended, Nguyen Thi Oanh - the "golden girl" of Vietnamese athletics, the daughter of Lang Giang, Bac Giang with a rich revolutionary tradition, contributed to the victory of the country with 4 Gold Medals in hand. With her own efforts, Nguyen Thi Oanh deserves to be called the next "Queen of Athletics" of Vietnamese sports.

CHU KHOAN THIEN