Gymnastics, alike other sports, has power to teach invaluable lessons, bring hope to the hurting, and impact lives in unimaginable ways. It has been known for its tremendous value in child development and its ability to teach perseverance, but for many, it reaches far beyond that. For some of our gymnastics greats, such as China’s Shang Chunsong, gymnastics soothes wounds of a turmoiled past and creates hope for an otherwise uncertain future.

 

A blog on Tumblr recently told the story of Shang, chronicling her journey from birth all the way through her recent performance at the 2015 World Championships where she took fourth in the all-around. Shang has a riveting and inspiring story—one that is filled with pure determination and sacrificial familial love. Being born into a village in one of the poorest regions of China and severely malnourished as a child, Shang was an unlikely prospect for gymnastics stardom. Most 19-year-olds aren’t driven daily by the goal of purchasing a house for their visually impaired brother, which is another moving detail of Chunsong's story. She has overcome endless adversity and worked her way to be a member on China’s World Championships team for the last three years. Despite horrifying news that came to her just before Glasgow 2015, she helped lead China to a silver medal in the team final, and continues to inspire the gymnastics community with her incredible story. 
 

READ SHANG'S STORY HERE

via Mr. Firefox's Chinese Gym Blog


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