1. In 1981, Sang Lan was born in an ordinary family in Ningbo, Zhejiang. Her father, Sang Shisheng, worked for the local housing management department, and her mother worked in a shoe factory.
As the only child in the family, Xiao Sanglan has been lively and cute since she was a child, with a cheerful personality. Every day, I run and play in the streets and alleys with the children of the neighbors, and live a carefree life.
The gears of fate are quietly turning. A discerning gymnastics coach saw Sang Lan's potential, and with his persuasion, Sang Lan's parents decided to let their daughter take the path of gymnastics.
In May 1987, at the age of 6, Sang Lan stepped into the door of Ningbo Youth Sports School and began her gymnastics career. In the sports school, Sang Lan was eager to learn various gymnastics skills, and at the same time actively participated in various competitions, and repeatedly achieved excellent results.
Her talent and hard work were quickly recognized, and in September 1989, at the age of 8, Sang Lan entered the Zhejiang Provincial Youth Sports School to receive more professional training. Only half a year later, she was selected by the Zhejiang Provincial Sports Team and became one of them.
In 1991, 10-year-old Sang Lan participated in the 9th Zhejiang Provincial Games. Despite her young age, her performance was impressive. With the courage and excellent skills of the newborn calf who is not afraid of tigers, Sang Lan won the first place in the five events of uneven bars, vault, floor gymnastics, balance beam and all-around in one fell swoop, and became famous.
Second, Sang Lan's outstanding performance has attracted the attention of the national team. On December 17, 1993, 12-year-old Sang Lan officially joined the national gymnastics team and began her glory days. Under the strict training of the national team, Sang Lan's skills are becoming more and more sophisticated.
In 1995, she represented the Chinese team in Washington, D.C., United States, and participated in the "China, the United States, and Russia" trilateral team competition, making her first appearance on the international stage. In 1997, Sang Lan won the first place in the vault event at the National Gymnastics Championships and became the national vault champion.
Her outstanding performance has earned her the reputation of "Queen of Vault". Standing at the pinnacle of her career, 16-year-old Sang Lan is looking forward to a more brilliant future, but fate is secretly preparing for a cruel turn.
On July 21, 1998, 17-year-old Sang Lan came to New York with confidence to participate in the 4th Friendship Games. This was another big moment in her career, as she had already made her mark on the international stage, including a second-place finish in the individual vault in the tri-national team competition of China, the United States and Russia.
However, fate has arranged a cruel turning point for her here. During the pre-match warm-up, Sang Lan performed the "hand flip" movement as usual. The first two attempts went very well, but on the third time, the unexpected happened suddenly.
In the process of running, jumping, and flipping in the air, Sang Lan's head hit the ground heavily, resulting in a fracture of the cervical vertebrae and a high paraplegia below the chest. At that moment, the once energetic "Vaulting Queen" instantly lost control of her body, and her dreams and future were shattered in that instant.
The bad news came like a bolt from the blue, shattering not only the young gymnast's dreams, but also the entire sports world. However, what is even more heart-wrenching is that Sang Lan insists that the accident was not a simple accident.
In a later interview with CCTV host Ning Xin, Sang Lan revealed a shocking detail. She recalls seeing a male coach of the Romania team about to haul the mat away, and she was already halfway through and couldn't stop at all.
This detail did not attract enough attention at the time, but it became the starting point for a long road of rights protection in the future. After his injury, Sunland underwent treatment and rehabilitation in the United States for up to 10 months.
3. During this period, a Chinese couple named Liu Guosheng and Xie Xiaohong gave her care and help. Liu Guosheng was the owner of a lottery company in Beijing and had amassed a lot of wealth, while Xie Xiaohong was a housewife.
The couple not only took care of her by Sunlan's side, but also covered her medical bills. However, this seemingly heartwarming experience later became another source of pain in Sang Lan's life.
Finally, after nearly 10 months of treatment, Sang Lan's physical condition gradually stabilized, and she was able to return to the embrace of her motherland. However, a new and challenging life awaits her.
The 17-year-old had to face the harsh reality that she had lost her identity as a gymnast forever and was confined to a wheelchair with a paralysis in her lower body. This "vaulting queen" who used to soar freely in the arena has now become a luxury to even stand.
Faced with the sudden blow, Sang Lan's heart was full of confusion and despair. However, life does not stop there, new challenges and opportunities await this stubborn girl.
In the face of the relentless blows of fate, Sang Lan showed extraordinary courage and perseverance. With the support of her family and friends, she embarked on a difficult but determined path to rebirth.
After returning to China, in order to take care of Sang Lan, her parents resolutely quit their jobs. Although the General Administration of Sports of the People's Republic of China and the Zhejiang Sports Bureau paid 200,000 yuan each, the money was far from enough for her recovery and future life.
However, Sanglan was not knocked down by the difficulty. In 2002, she joined Star TV as the host of the program "Sunland 2008", which started her new career. In the same year, she was admitted to the Department of Journalism of the School of Journalism and Communication of Peking University with amazing perseverance, majoring in radio and television, and began a new learning journey.
In her study and life at Peking University, Sang Lan showed the same tenacious spirit as on the gymnasium. She overcame her physical inconveniences, studied hard, armed herself with knowledge, and prepared herself for her future life.
4. In 2007, she became involved with the Internet, organized her official website, and was hired as a special reporter for the official website of the Chinese Olympic Committee. These experiences not only enriched her experience, but also laid the foundation for her future career development.
Before the opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Sang Lan ushered in another highlight moment of her life. She became one of the first torchbearers to participate in the Beijing Olympic torch relay with Ding Junhui and others.
As she sat in a wheelchair and slowly moved forward with the torch held high, everyone saw an indomitable soul. At this moment, she is no longer just an injured former gymnast, but a spiritual symbol that inspires the whole of China.
During this time, Sang Lan also met her future husband, Huang Jian. Huang Jian was originally a fencer, but after retiring from the army, he became a physical education teacher and later a sports agent.
Their acquaintance brought new hope and warmth to Sang Lan's life. Huang Jian not only cares about Sang Lan's life, but also uses his status as a sports agent to get a lot of jobs for her, helping her rebuild her self-confidence and career.
Although Huang Jian already had a family at that time, his care and help to Sang Lan planted the seeds for future relationships. In 2002, Huang Jian went south to Shenzhen to develop, while Sang Lan worked and studied in Beijing, and the two did not contact each other for four years.
It wasn't until 2006, when Huang Jian returned to Beijing, that the two crossed paths again. Huang Jian continued to help Sang Lan in her work and life, and their relationship quietly sprouted in the process.
Through her own efforts and the support of the people around her, Sang Lan gradually came out of the huge blow and regained the hope and direction of life. Her story is not only a personal rebirth, but also a testimony to the resilience and vitality of human nature.
In April 2011, after a long period of psychological adjustment and preparation, Sang Lan decided to fight for her own rights. She assembled a team of lawyers in the United States and officially launched a claim process with a claim amount of up to $1.8 billion, or about 13 billion yuan.
This staggering figure not only reflects the huge loss she has suffered, but also her insistence on fairness and justice. SUNLAND'S LAWSUITS INCLUDE TIME WARNER, United States THE GYMNASTICS ASSOCIATION OF United States, United States TIG'S TWO INSURANCE AGENCIES AND AN INSURANCE AGENCY CALLED RIVERSTONE.
5. In addition, she also named Ted · Turner, the founder of the Friendship Games, as the target of prosecution. However, what is even more shocking is that Sang Lan also sued Liu Guosheng and Xie Xiaohong, a Chinese couple who had helped her.
She uncovered a heart-wrenching truth: Liu Guosheng and their son had violated her during her injuries. This cross-border lawsuit lasted for five years, and it was full of difficulties and challenges.
During the proceedings, the three insurance companies and the United States Gymnastics Association held a three-hour "closed-door meeting" with Sunland. Eventually, some of the defendants agreed to settle, acknowledging that Sunland's injuries were not personal faults, and agreeing to pay $10 million in damages and bear part of the medical expenses.
They also promised to give her a living allowance on a regular basis in the future. However, the dispute with the Chinese couple could not be opened due to insufficient evidence. Although Sunlan has been actively seeking ways to defend her rights, due to the passage of many years and the lack of relevant evidence, this accusation was ultimately not established.
On August 5, 2016, after five years of legal battles, Sang Lan submitted a motion to the court through her lawyer, expressing her willingness to unconditionally withdraw the lawsuit and never sue again. At this point, the transnational lawsuit, which lasted for 17 years since she was injured, has finally come to an end.
6. Although the outcome was not entirely as expected, Sang Lan's path to defending her rights demonstrated her indomitable spirit and set an example for victims of similar incidents. Her courage and perseverance are not only for herself, but also for the promotion of a fairer and safer environment in sports.
Although this long legal battle is over, its repercussions will last for a long time. In the difficult process of rights protection, Sang Lan's personal life ushered in a turning point.
In 2010, under Huang Jian's active pursuit, 29-year-old Sang Lan finally reaped love. Three years later, in 2013, they entered the palace of marriage hand in hand and opened a new chapter in their lives.
Soon after the marriage, good news followed. On April 14, 2014, Sang Lan gave birth to their son Huang Xiaobao in Beijing. The joy of being a first-time mother made Sang Lan feel another beauty of life.
Although there are still physical limitations, she and Huang Jian manage this small family with their hearts and live a warm and happy life. Today, 42-year-old Sang Lan is the mother of a 9-year-old boy.
Under her influence, her son also developed a keen interest in sports and dreamed of becoming a football player. In 2020, when Sang Lan took her son to participate in the variety show "Hello Mom", the 6-year-old little guy said touching words: "If Dad is old and can't hold Mom, I'll hug Mom!" These words not only brought Sang Lan to tears, but also touched countless audiences.
Sunran's story teaches us that although life's setbacks are unpredictable, we can choose how to face them. From a former gymnastics champion to a happy wife and mother today, Sang Lan uses her own experience to explain what is a real victory in life.
She even expressed her hope to have a second child, which reflects her love for life and expectations for the future. Despite the ups and downs of life, Sang Lan still maintains a positive and optimistic attitude towards life.
7. Her story is not only the ups and downs of a sports star, but also a life legend of courage, perseverance and hope. Today's Sang Lan has completely bid farewell to the haze of the past and lived a wonderful life of her own.