Preface
At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, many athletes performed spectacularly, and many athletes from the mainland successfully won medals.
In the women's 100m butterfly, the winner was also an athlete with an Asian face.
On the podium, when everyone thought that the national anthem of the mainland was about to sound, the radio was the Canadian song and the Canadian flag was raised.
Isn't it the Chinese who won the championship? Just when everyone was puzzled, the athlete's life was also revealed.
Her name is Hannah Margaret McNeill, and she is Canadian!
So why did she have a Chinese face? It turned out that McNeill was actually born in Jiangxi, China, but her parents abandoned her because they saw that she was a girl.
Fortunately, she was later adopted by a Canadian couple, and she was able to grow up and achieve such proud results.
From a helpless abandoned baby to an unattainable Olympic champion, what kind of amazing story has happened to this girl?
Now that she has achieved fame, will she choose to return to China to find her biological parents?
Seeing in the news that the daughter she once didn't want is now winning glory for the country, I wonder if her biological parents who abandoned her 20 years ago regret it?
From foundlings to Olympic champions
Looking back at the women's 100m butterfly final, McNeil's performance was not outstanding at first, and even lagged far behind the others.
But what happened next was a miraculous reversal of her life, as she waved her arms quickly, and her legs swam gracefully and quickly beyond everyone in an instant.
When the clock ticked to 55.59 seconds, she was the first to reach the finish line and win the title.
This reversal was unexpected, and everyone was more optimistic about Chinese player Zhang Yufei at first.
And it was this dark horse that appeared out of thin air that made everyone refresh their perception of her, and also made the name McNeill resound all over the world.
In fact, McNeill's life was not so wonderful at first, on the contrary, her early childhood life was very miserable.
Born in 2000, she was a veritable millennial baby, but she didn't have the good fortune that came with this title, and not only that, she was abandoned by her parents when she was less than a year old.
Later, she was found by a welfare home and taken good care of, and named Xiao Kai.
A few months later, a Canadian couple came to China for a tour, and since they had no children, they wanted to adopt through a welfare home, and Xiao Kai, who happened to be well-behaved and sensible, became their first choice.
Despite the difference in skin color, her adoptive parents gave McNeil infinite love, and her adoptive parents comforted her when her classmates rejected McNeil because of their skin color.
In their mouths, it was because of their own mistakes as parents, so God gave them a child of a different color.
This white lie succeeded in comforting young McNeill and left a strong mark on her childhood.
Later, I don't know if it was because they were afraid that their daughter would be lonely, but her adoptive parents adopted another girl from China, and the family of four was happy without any racial or gender discrimination.
At first, the adoptive mother didn't expect much from McNeill, just hoping that she would grow up carefree.
Unexpectedly, when McNeil was two years old, the mother and daughter unintentionally played in the swimming pool, which made the adoptive mother discover McNeil's talent in swimming.
It just so happened that McNeill also loved the sport, so her adoptive parents paid out of their own pockets to support her choice.
It can be said that McNeill's current achievements are due to the love she received from her adoptive parents when she was growing up, and it is the power of love and the meaning of family that have laid a solid foundation for her growth.
And motivates her to keep moving forward and bravely face life's challenges and difficulties.
In McNeill's mind, adoptive parents are not only the people who raised her up, but also her spiritual support and support.
Their selfless dedication and care became her motivation to move forward, making her believe that the world is full of love. Therefore, she is willing to be proud of them and fight for them.
They are the best and warmest parents in the world, and this love and gratitude is also the most touching thing in the world.
Medal winners
McNeil is truly talented in swimming, and as one of Canada's leading female swimmers, she won the 100m backstroke at the World Championships as a teenager.
When she was a sophomore, she won the gold medal in the women's 100m butterfly at the 2018 Gwangju World Swimming Championships with a time of 55.83 seconds, which even broke the world record!
At this point, McNeil won Canada's first gold medal in the event and became the pride of the Canadian swimming team.
Coincidentally, the same happened to two Chinese girls on the U.S. gymnastics team.
Eager and Morgan are also abandoned babies, and they were also abandoned by their biological parents shortly after birth, disbelieving that they were girls.
They were adopted by a kind American couple and thus had a happy family and foster parenting.
In addition, these two girls are extraordinary, having helped the U.S. women's gymnastics team win four consecutive championships.
These children are in the same situation, not only overcoming the difficulties of their early years, but also achieving outstanding achievements in the field of sports, and the stories that happen to them show the miracle of life and the power of love.
Netizens are hotly discussed
After winning the championship, McNeil's story was also revealed, so the major media waited for an opportunity to interview the medalist.
And the most frequently asked question is: Will you return to China to find your biological parents?
Faced with such questions, McNeil replied firmly every time: "My parents and I are both Canadians.
His statement was very clear in and out of his words, and netizens were shocked when this remark came out.
Some people think that "the grace of nurturing is greater than heaven, McNeil is not wrong, it is her biological parents who are at fault, and she should be grateful to her current caregiver for raising her to be an excellent person".
A small number of people think that "it is really 'foreign appearance' to be 'foreign' even though they are Chinese but contribute to other countries, and they do not know filial piety."
But most people expressed their understanding: "There is really no need for moral kidnapping, no matter which country she chooses to be, we should bless her generously."
But if her parents hadn't abandoned her at the beginning, with their patriarchal thinking, McNeil's life path can be imagined.
In any case, each person's identification with family and identity is a personal choice.
Whether you choose your parents or win glory for your country, this is a complex personal issue that involves McNeil's personal emotions, values, and family relationships.
McNeill's choice to accept her life and career in Canada is understandable, and whatever she chooses, we should not judge her personally, she deserves respect and understanding.
epilogue
Although McNeill's background may have been ordinary, she did not feel inferior or retreat from it.
On the contrary, with tenacity and perseverance, she overcame all odds and became an outstanding athlete and role model.
She uses her choices to tell us that true family affection is not limited to blood relations, but is based on mutual care, understanding and companionship.
Moreover, although it is the patriarchal mindset that leads to the misfortunes of these athletes, the success stories of these athletes also show us the possibility of changing our lives.
Their achievements are not only sports victories, but also the embodiment of mental strength to fight against prejudice and hardship.
These stories also serve to reflect on gender bias in society and work towards creating a more inclusive and equal environment where everyone has the opportunity to reach their potential and pursue their dreams.