China's 15-year-old Chen Ye won the gold medal in the men's bowl final of skateboarding (滑板男子碗池决赛) at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Sept. 25. 2023.
Chen started getting into this sport at the age of 8. "I remember one day I went to a sports store, and by chance I saw a skateboard. I decided to give it a try." Chen told China Daily. Although it was really challenging to stay on the board at first, Chen found it very interesting, compared with other hobbies. "Every time I learned some difficult skills, I felt the joy of making breakthroughs (突破), "said Chen.
Gradually, Chen needed a better skate bowl for training. To meet the need, his father decided to make a skate bowl himself. "He gave up his job and worked on the bowl late into the night, "said Chen. "I'm really thankful for my father's support."
As a junior high school student, Chen needed to find a balance(平衡)between his schoolwork and skateboarding. His only "privilege (特权)" was being free from P. E. classes, during which he would do schoolwork because he needed to practice in his own skate bowl for hours after returning home. He trained in the morning, studied in the afternoon and sometimes had to have extra classes with the teachers' help. While getting ready for the competition this year, he trained for more hours at night to avoid interfering (干扰) with daytime classes.
Looking at seven years of learning skating, Chen said this experience made him stronger and more determined to do something he truly loves.
