Talented Zou Chunlan
In 1971, Zou Chunlan was born in an ordinary rural family, her parents were manual laborers, and her family was not wealthy. However, at a young age, Zou Chunlan showed amazing athletic talent, and she was agile and flexible when she ran and jumped, which impressed the people around her.
At the age of 14, Zou Chunlan came into contact with weightlifting for the first time, she originally knew nothing about this sport, and she easily lifted a 90-pound iron block for the first time, and everyone at the scene was stunned, unbelievable that a thin girl could have such explosive power.
This scene also made Zou Chunlan's family and sports coaches see her potential to become a top athlete. As a result, Zou Chunlan was selected into the weightlifting team and began systematic training.
At first, it was still difficult for Zou Chunlan to lift a heavy iron block, but she was full of perseverance, getting up early every day and practicing Xi greedily, faithfully following the coach's requirements and professional guidance, and making fun of hardship.
Gradually, Zou Chunlan's physical strength and skills have made great progress. At the age of 16, she stood out in the national youth weightlifting competition, won the championship in one fell swoop, and was officially selected for the national team, becoming a rising star in Chinese weightlifting.
In the face of the high standards and rigorous training of the national team, Zou Chunlan did not have the slightest cowardice, but faced difficulties with youthful vitality and firm perseverance. Doing her best to complete high-intensity training tasks every day is a daily routine in her national team life.
Zou Chunlan knows that in order to achieve good results in the arena, she must give her all in training.
With excellent talent and unremitting efforts, Zou Chunlan has grown into a talent in the national team. Her perseverance and desire to win drive her to excel and aim higher in weightlifting.
Banned drugs helped win nine gold dollars
After being selected for the national team, Zou Chunlan ushered in the first peak of her sports career. Under the instructions of her coach, she began to take a banned drug called "Strongmaru".
This drug can enhance explosive power, but the side effects are very large, and long-term use will be harmful to health.
In order to win the championship in a major event and make great achievements, Zou Chunlan chose to follow the advice of her coach and began to take medication every day. The banned drugs have indeed improved her competitive form in a short period of time, and her explosive power during competitions has been amazing, and her weightlifting performance has been climbing steadily.
With the "help" of banned drugs, Zou Chunlan, who was in her early 20s, quickly became a leader in domestic weightlifting. She has won many gold medals in top events such as the World Championships and the Asian Games, and has broken national and even world records many times.
In just a few years, Zou Chunlan won 9 gold medals in major competitions, and her name frequently appeared in newspaper headlines and CCTV news, becoming a well-known sports icon in the country.
Countless audiences applauded Zou Chunlan's dominance and regarded her as a national hero.
However, the truth behind the drug is not known to the outside world. The coach strictly restricted the players from revealing the fact of taking the medicine to the outside world, and the players, including Zou Chunlan, also chose to hide it out of a desire to win.
On the surface, Zou Chunlan has achieved brilliant achievements by her own efforts, and only she knows the hidden price she has paid.
Winning glory for the country is an honor for Zou Chunlan, but her long-term dependence on drugs to enhance her state also makes her deeply uneasy. However, the environment at that time did not allow for questioning, and in order to keep her seat, Zou Chunlan could only continue to obey the coach's instructions and pursue better results with the help of drugs.
This experience also planted the reason for the great change in her life.
The tragic cost of fertility loss
Over the years, Zou Chunlan has thrived in the arena by taking drugs such as "strong pills" and has achieved brilliant competitive results. However, there are two sides to everything, and the costs behind them are gradually becoming apparent.
After the Barcelona Olympics in '92, Zou Chunlan's body showed obvious signs of failure. The original ruddy complexion has dried up, the muscles are relaxed, and the joints are also in pain under the stimulation of long-term drugs.
Zou Chunlan, whose performance declined, kept three clean sheets in major international competitions in 1993, and her form was not as good as before.
After being examined by the team doctor, Zou Chunlan was diagnosed as "out of action" and had to stop taking medication and all training immediately, which meant that her glorious competitive career came to an end.
To make matters worse, Zou Chunlan soon found herself unable to conceive after stopping the drug, and the test results showed that she had permanently lost her fertility.
For a female athlete, the loss of fertility is undoubtedly a heavy blow. The joy of winning the gold medal was swept away, and Zou Chunlan fell into unprecedented despair.
All honors will no longer exist, she will not have the opportunity to have children of her own, and her hopes and dreams will be shattered.
After retiring, Zou Chunlan fell into a long period of self-blame and regret. She kept asking herself if she should refuse to take her medication and pursue her health at all costs. But in the end, the environment and atmosphere of the year made her choose to obey the coach in order to keep her seat.
Now that I think about it, those gold medals and glory are meaningless. Zou Chunlan tragically endured the price of the decisions she made when she was young, and half of her body and fertility were destroyed.
Faced with the cruel truth, she can only try to make herself strong, no longer run away, and live a good life.
Struggled to make a living, reduced to scrubbing
After retiring from the national team, Zou Chunlan's life plummeted. The fame and honor that once came to naught overnight, and she had to face the cruel realities of life.
At first, Zou Chunlan tried to start her own business, raising chickens and selling barbecue, etc., but due to lack of experience and funds, all of them failed. Her physical condition is deteriorating, and it is difficult for her to find a job.
Later, through the introduction of acquaintances, Zou Chunlan began to work in a bathhouse, and her job was to rub the bath for guests, which was undoubtedly a huge insult to her who used to lead the coquettish.
The hot, humid environment in the bathhouse made Zou Chunlan often dizzy and headaches, and she was ashamed of the work of bathing male guests. Once upon a time, she was also in the limelight, but now she has fallen to this level.
Zou Chunlan's income is only 500 yuan a month, barely making ends meet. And because of her low voice and distinctly masculine characteristics, she is often ridiculed, discriminated against, and insulted by guests and colleagues, and lives in a dark and desperate life.
Whenever she returned to her humble residence after work, Zou Chunlan would often cry bitterly. She kept recalling the glorious moments of winning gold on the field in the past, and cheered with the applause of her family and the audience.
The strong contrast between reality and memory made Zou Chunlan feel hopeless, and she didn't know how long she could hold on.
Just when Zou Chunlan's life was at its most difficult, a glimmer of hope appeared. With the help of the Women's Federation, she finally got out of the bathhouse and started a small laundry of her own.
Although the beginning was not smooth, Zou Chunlan did not give up and insisted on operating day after day, hoping to regain a firm foothold.
Rebuilding your life opens up hope
With the help of the Women's Federation, Zou Chunlan finally had the opportunity to start her own business, and she saved her meager savings to open a small laundry. At first, the business was cold and it was very difficult to persist in business, and Zou Chunlan also doubted herself for a while, not knowing if she could succeed.
Day in and day out, Zou Chunlan works tirelessly to run her own store. She gently solicited customers and provided them with intimate service, and slowly accumulated a reputation. At the same time, she also hired several laid-off workers who had the same hardship as her as store clerks to help them get out of poverty as much as she could.
After a long period of perseverance, Zou Chunlan's small shop finally gained a firm foothold, and business gradually boomed. She hired more workers in difficulty, and the store expanded.
Today's Zou Chunlan has a good management, a stable income, and no longer has to worry about hardship.
At the same time, Zou Chunlan also actively gives back to the society. She often donates money and materials to support disabled children and other vulnerable groups, and supports public welfare causes.
Zou Chunlan also did not forget to help her former teammates rebuild their lives and get through the difficulties with them.
Despite the loss of fertility due to the side effects of the medication, Zou Chunlan's husband never gave up on her, but continued to support and encourage her. With his help, Zou Chunlan gradually walked out of the shadow of fertility disorders and regained her self-confidence and hope.
Today's Zou Chunlan lives a calm and happy life, and she uses her experience to infect and help more people. From the absurd past to the current rebirth, Zou Chunlan has experienced the most cruel ups and downs in her life, but she has not been defeated, but still chooses optimism and persistence.
Warning lessons and looking forward to the future
Zou Chunlan's life experience makes everyone sad and thoughtful. An athlete with unlimited potential ends up being led to a devastating life trajectory by an irrational system and wrong choices.
Zou Chunlan's story is a reminder that substance abuse in sports cannot be tolerated. It is completely wrong to sacrifice the physical and mental health and life dreams of athletes in pursuit of short-term utilitarian gains.
There is a need for the relevant authorities to take decisive measures to eradicate drug abuse once and for all.
At the same time, we should also reflect on the protection of the rights and interests of retired athletes. There should be no more abandoned heroes like Zou Chunlan. The country and the sports system need to establish a sound retirement mechanism, so that athletes can find a second career and live a happy life after retiring with peace of mind.
We also have to pay attention to the fate of many athletes of that era. They also suffer from drug side effects and have a difficult life after retirement. Support should be given at the national policy level to put in place measures to help them rebuild their lives and end their miserable lives of discrimination and adrift.
The story of Zou Chunlan's eventual rebirth of Nirvana gives people great positive energy. She faced adversity with a spirit of self-improvement and optimism, never gave up the pursuit of tomorrow, and did not give in even if she was ruined.
This is an inspiration and motivation for all those who are in trouble.
We sincerely hope that the future of Chinese sports can wash away the haze, athletes can grow up healthily under the sun, and enjoy a happy life after retirement.
We will remember the lessons of history, see the dawn of hope, and continue to strive for the great dream of becoming a sports power.