All men can turn themselves into legends, two-time Paralympic jumper Li Duan always told himself.
"I once had a dream of becoming China's Michael Jordan; and joke with my friends in the current national team: 'Guys, if I were not like this, I would definitely have been better than you'," said the humorous Jilin native, who began playing basketball from the age of five.
Long jumper Li Duan lifts weights at the training center for Paralympic athletes in Beijing's Shunyi district ahead of the Games. [Xinhua]
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Li used to be a forward on the national youth basketball team and was a well-known slam-dunk champion.
But when an accident took away his eyesight and dashed his dearest dream of becoming a national-level basketball player almost 10 years ago, the 192cm man did not stop writing his legend. Instead, he dug deeper and found a new way to reach for his dream.
"Though life closed a door for me, it opened a new window. When I knew that my outstanding jumping skills could help me become good at triple jump and long jump, I immediately decided to do it," said 30-year-old winner of four Paralympic medals, including two gold medals in Athens 2004.
Li started athletic training at a Shenyang-based sports institute only one year after he had the accident. It was then he began a six-year partnership with coach Jin Fan.
"Li was the first Paralympic athlete that I trained. Before we started, I was not sure at all what we two could achieve together," said the 49-year-old coach.
"But I knew that Li counted on me. If he detected any kind of hesitation from me, he could have lost his faith," said Jin. "The most essential part in the training is the cultivation of deep trust between the coach and the athlete."
Before he lets himself fly in the air every time, Li strides 11 steps in the triple jump and 12 steps in the long jump. If his coach keeps a constant pace with his clapping, it means his student is on the right track.
If the clapping tempo raises, it tells Li he should accelerate; if it slows down, it warns the jumper he has lost his position.
"I can detect a lot of messages from my coach's clapping," said Li. "It is not just keeping the pace for me. Sometimes, I find encouragement, and other times, I note his dissatisfaction."
At the Athens Paralympics, the duo enjoyed the moment when their flawless duet gave birth to two gold medals. Tears welled down the cheeks of the two men, and Li was so overwhelmed that he sang the national anthem at the top of his voice.
"People said I was almost shouting at the podium. I didn't notice. I just knew I had always wanted to sing the national anthem at the podium and I was thrilled I did it," he said.
Li lives in Liaoning province with his wife and 3-year-old son, Li Xiran.