Her Letter to the World

What is the price of success? The most decorated diver in history, 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá), paid a very high price for each of her gold medals. Although she sustained serious injuries while representing her country, she always stood up straight, her neck perfectly aligned with her spine, and when she dived, her body flew with the grace of a mermaid. She kept training and winning till to exhaust her body. Besides her own injuries, her family also paid a high price. After the 2012 London Olympics, 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá) learned that her mother 诸金妹 (Zhū Jīnmèi) was ill with breast cancer from eigth years earlier. Her mother didn’t tell her anything as to not affect her training for outstanding wins. And for the same reason, her parents didn’t tell her anything about her grandparents’s death. So 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá) came, saw, and won. Now that she’s retired, she needs to live her own life alongside her family and beloved ones. Hopefully with a little joy. And so, like Emily wrote, “For love of her, sweet countrymen, / Judge tenderly of me!”.

诸金妹 (Zhū Jīnmèi) and 吴敏霞 (Wú Mǐnxiá)
Photo: sports.sohu.com.