The 'steel roses' of the Vietnamese running village
"In the team, on holidays like March 8, we still practice normally. Just a little different from weekdays, teachers and male athletes will hold a small party, give flowers to sisters. For us like That's enough," Hong Le said. For her, the goal of bringing home gold in the regional arena is much more important than having fun.
Having been charmed with running since middle school, SEA Games 30, 2019 was the first time a girl from Binh Dinh participated in the full marathon, Le excellently won a bronze medal for the Vietnamese sports delegation. . The image of her collapsing, having to breathe oxygen, needing someone to wear uniforms and help her to the podium to receive the prize was widely shared in the running community. In the same year, Hong Le also won the MetaSports Marathon Quy Nhon - the first tournament in the VM system.
Four years after those moments, the athlete born in 1998 is more stable on the track. She said that despite the intense training intensity, the harsh race, this is still the right path, never once had the thought of giving up. "I'm proud to be a girl and to be devoted to Vietnamese sports," Le said with a laugh.
So far, no one has surpassed Hong Le in the full marathon. In addition to the consecutive medals at the team level, she is unique in every movement tournament, consecutively winning the first place in the MetaSports Marathons held in 2020 in Hue, Quy Nhon, and Hanoi. Later, with a denser training and competition schedule, Le put aside her hobby of running and focused more on continental and world goals.
Besides her achievements in the international arena, the Bac Giang girl also loves to attend marathons across the country. Thanks to that, she could go to many places, meet many people and do many meaningful things. The vibrant atmosphere, brought by thousands of athletes, made Oanh feel comfortable.
Oanh has only tried once at the 42km track, the rest is mainly 21km because of her strength. In all the MetaSports Marathons she has participated in, Oanh has won the female number one place. She thinks that young athletes have many advantages, just need to eat properly, in a few years Oanh will have to give up this championship.
"I learned determination and determination from amateur athletes. The spirit that everyone creates helps me relieve pressure after intense times of competition. I feel more aspects than just one. simple race," said Oanh.
In addition to the time to practice and compete, Oanh also hones her foreign language skills, because competing abroad, often has to use English, she wants to interact with international fans and colleagues, spreading her image. Photo of a Vietnamese girl in the world sports arena. Oanh once confided that when she no longer had enough strength for the top races, she would return to the movement track. There were the brothers and sisters that Oanh loved. Marathon gives her intense life emotions, urges the will to overcome difficulties in life.
On March 8 this year, both Nguyen Thi Oanh and Pham Thi Hong Le focused on the practice lesson plan. Only Lo Thi Thanh will celebrate International Women's Day in a different way than every year. Giving up her peak sports career just two months ago, the girl from Son La wants to retire to perform the duties of a wife and mother.
"When I decided to take a break, I regretted it, the teachers in the coaching staff also advised me to stay and compete in the 32nd SEA Games, but the injury is getting worse, this is also the right time to stop," Thanh said. Knee injury, had surgery since 2020, but until now, the situation is getting worse. The pain recurred every night, disrupting sleep, causing Thanh to lose strength and slow recovery after each heavy training session. She realized that this is also the right time to take care of her own happiness.
Stopping professional competition in regret, Lo Thi Thanh still wears shoes to practice every free time. Recently, she entered the top 100 best athletes MetaSports Marathon Hue 2023, but due to injury, she could not return to the track. "The successes in the MetaSports Marathon system help me relieve my sadness and regain my confidence. After I recover and have conditions, I will continue to fight in the movement tournaments," Thanh said.
The name Lo Thi Thanh is more known to fans, from an incident at SEA Games 31 at home. In the women's 10km run, she thought she had the silver medal firmly, when she finished second behind teammate Pham Thi Hong Le. However, the Singapore delegation later complained, claiming that Lo Thi Thanh wore inappropriate shoes. Thanh's competition record was cancelled.
This year's International Women's Day, Thanh has more time to spend with her family. She plans to go to extra school and hopes to become a PE teacher, continuing to pass on her passion for running to the next generations. Currently, Hong Le, Oanh, and Thanh have their own goals. But they all have one thing in common: they dedicate their youth to Vietnamese sports.
