Author: Shanjia
On August 1, 2021, at the Tokyo Aquatics Center, the final of the women's 4x100m medley relay ended. Zhang Yufei and his teammates did not leave immediately, they were waiting for a Japanese player to finish the interview.
This Japanese player is today's heroine Ikee Rihanako. She and her teammates came, Zhang Yufei took the initiative to say hello to her, and the two looked at each other and smiled. After that, Yufei hugged Chi Jiang tightly and said "see you next year" in her ear, making an appointment to see you again at the Asian Games next year.
Why did this Japanese girl make Zhang Yufei, the Queen of immortal butterflies, so blue-eyed? It turned out that 901 days ago, Chi Jiang had just been diagnosed with leukemia. It is conceivable that without extraordinary perseverance and courage, she would not have been able to set sail again on the field at her doorstep...
01
In 2016, Chi Jiang broke the Asian record for medley held by China's Ye Shiwen, who was 16 years old and a young girl in the flower season.
At the Asian Championships in the same year, Chi Jiang won the 50-meter freestyle and the 50-meter butterfly in one fell swoop. As a result, she has been called the "genius girl" of the Japanese swimming world.
In 2018, at the Jakarta Asian Games, Chi Jiang won another six events including the women's 50m freestyle, 50m butterfly, 100m freestyle, and 100m butterfly, and became the first swimmer in history to win 6 gold medals in a single Asian Games. The Asian version of the female flying fish came out like this.
It can be said that above Jakarta, Chi Jiang is the brightest star, and the starlight is infinite. The Japanese people are looking forward to their swimming female flying fish to shine at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
But the big hand of fate always does not play according to common sense. On February 12, 2019, Chi Jiang was diagnosed with acute leukemia. This also means that she will withdraw from the field indefinitely.
When he competed in Jakarta, Chi Jiang was still a small beauty with a round face and a plump body, but after starting chemotherapy, her once dark hair fell off, her once strong body was haggard, high fever, convulsions, and vomiting were the daily homework of this talented girl.
Once, because of his illness, Matsue could not eat for several days, and could not even speak. Once, she whispered to her mother: I thought of death...
After 10 months of chemotherapy, Chi Jiang temporarily controlled his condition and received a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. In December 2019, Chi Jiang was discharged from the hospital, and the doctor also told her frankly that there was still a possibility of recurrence within 5 years. Chi Jiang only cares about one thing: Can I still swim?
02
In March 2020, Chi Jiang returned to the pool for training. The middle lane used to be the exclusive property of Chi Jiang, because that meant she swam the fastest.
But a serious illness changed the original trajectory, and Chi Jiang had to start all over again. She has to try to get back from the edge lane back to her center stage.
At first, it was very difficult for Chi Jiang to even bury his head in the water. Muscle atrophy, the body is completely out of control, and when you jump into the water again from the starting point of the jump platform, it is not so much that chi jiang jumps into the water as it falls into the water. Despite this, the first time he went down to the pool to train, Chi Jiang still smiled so happily.
In May 2020, simple sit-ups and arm training, Chi Jiang could not bear it, could not do it, could not do it, did not become her mantra.
Once upon a time, there was no going back to the bright days. What else can I do if my swimming career stops? Chi Jiang asked herself over and over again, and finally she chose to listen to her heart: she couldn't go back to the past, she could only move forward.
Many people see chi jiang's dynamics and always maintain respect for her. But Chi Jiang himself is very open-minded, I am not swimming for others, but because I like it.
Dwelling on the past doesn't change anything. Being able to return to the pool is already the favor of God, and Matsue is very grateful for the existence of this fact.
Compared with that vast moment, the momentary mood when he learned that he was sick, Chi Jiang recalled: Your expectations of the future were completely changed overnight, and the experience was bitter and painful. To stand up from adversity, no matter what, requires the power of hope.
03
For Chie, who participated in the Rio Olympics, the Tokyo Olympics are gradually drifting away, but the one-year postponement has given her more time to recover and train.
In August 2020, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Swimming Special Competition, Ikee made his comeback debut and finished fifth in the 50m freestyle with 26.32 seconds.
In February 2021, at the Japan Open, in the preliminaries and finals, Ikee improved the 50-meter freestyle to 25.06.06 and 24.91.91.
In April 2021, at the Japan Swimming Championships, Ikee won the women's 100m butterfly final with a time of 57.77 seconds, which was also her first championship after her comeback.
This achievement also means that Ikee qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games, "I thought that I would have to wait a long time to win, even if I was tired and hard, my hard work would definitely be rewarded." Now, I feel very happy. ”
At the Tokyo Olympics, Ikee and his teammates did not perform well in the two relay races. But Chi Jiang, who has set her sights on the 2024 Paris Olympics, will be her stage, "the middle lane, the place where I exist."
In Chi Jiang's eyes, there was still light shining. "I used to think that the trajectory and future of people's lives are set in stone. After all this, I realized that fate is about my own choices, not chances."
Chi Jiang's story is over; but Chi Jiang's dream continues. Fate is in their own hands, every road is out, the key lies in choice. Chi Jiang believes that it only takes one action, or a different way of thinking, to change fate. You, believe it?