When I was 11 years old, I was diagnosed with bone cancer. Not only did I have to go through the painful process of chemotherapy, I also had my left leg amputated eventually. Life is tough, isn’t it?

After the amputation, I had to "make friend" with my prosthesis and learn how to use it. There were a lot of hardships during the rehabilitation period but luckily I had the full support of my families and friends in those difficult times. Life is full of surprises. I came across wheelchair fencing one day and since then it has changed my life.

I started representing Hong Kong as a wheelchair fencer in 2001, then participated in my first Paralympic Games at Athens in 2004. In 2005, I entered the Chinese University of Hong Kong and, in the following year, I was awarded the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Scholarship for Disabled Students. Being a student athlete was a difficult task because I always needed to attend training or competitions overseas. Therefore, I used the scholarship to purchase a computer, which enabled me to juggle my study and the elite training in the Hong Kong Sport Institute.

I represented Hong Kong to participate in three Paralympic Games, winning a total of seven gold, one silver and one bronze medals, as well as earning a reputation of being the Hong Kong athlete with the most Paralympic gold medals. I am now competing for the qualification for the Paralympic Games at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. I wish I can participate in the Paralympic Games for the fourth time and win medals in order to show the world that Hong Kong athletes are brilliant.

I would like to thank the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund as its scholarship supported my university studies and wheelchair fencing career. Despite my disability, I made my dreams come true. Everyone faces challenges in life. It is a matter of how you overcome them and use them to your advantage.

Note:
Congratulations to YU Chui-yee for winning silver in both the women’s individual foil (category A) and the women’s epee team events in Rio! She has already won a total of 11 medals in the Paralympic games, making her the female wheelchair fencer who has won the most Paralympic medals in history.