“The pain was excruciating and unbearable, truly a hellish experience. I found myself confined to bed for two to three weeks, staring blankly at the ceiling, unable to care for myself. After over a year of treatment with no relief, I was filled with despair.”
Huang Xiaomin, the former Chinese national swimmer now in her middle years, shared her experiences in an interview with The Epoch Times on Dec. 19. Reflecting on the torment of her youth, she notes that those painful memories still haunt her to this day.
A Tale of Hardship and Pain
Behind the glory lies an untold tale of hardship, and the immense price she paid for her efforts. At the age of 12, when Ms. Huang was selected for the Chinese national swimming team, she departed from her hometown, dedicating herself to a career as a professional athlete. Striving for medals, she endured daily sessions of intense systematic training, spending seven to eight hours in the water each day and completing swimming drills covering at least 9.32 miles (15,000 meters).Muscle and joint injuries were a common occurrence for her, often requiring the use of medication to alleviate the pain.
Furthermore, as a member of the Chinese national team, she was once asked by the coach to take experimental performance-enhancing drugs. This led to side effects such as irregular menstrual cycles and stiffened muscles, negatively impacting her performance. As a result, she had to discontinue their use.
Reflecting on the 12 years of professional training with the Chinese national swimming team, Ms. Huang remarked that ordinary people could hardly fathom the level of pain. She was destroying rather than training her body.
At the age of 24, Ms. Huang retired from the national team. At 25, she began experiencing various symptoms, including frequent back pain, intermittent low-grade fever, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath. By 26, her symptoms had gradually worsened—especially the back pain. She was later diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation. During bouts of back pain, accompanied by neurological symptoms such as the loss of sensation below the right knee, she could only lie in bed.
Despite trying various conservative therapies for over a year, Ms. Huang’s lumbar disc herniation condition showed no improvement. At that time, doctors did not recommend surgical intervention. They believed the condition was related to cumulative strain and were unable to find a solution.
Additionally, Ms. Huang had intermittent low-grade fever, along with occasional chest tightness, palpitations, and shortness of breath. During sleep, she often felt sudden pauses in her heartbeat, leading to a feeling of suffocation. Unfortunately, the doctors did not provide a definitive diagnosis.
In the winter of 1997, at the age of 27, Ms. Huang experienced another severe episode of lumbar disc herniation.
A Neighbor’s Wisdom
One day, a neighbor came to visit Ms. Huang. She encouraged her to practice Falun Gong, saying, “Only Falun Gong can save you. Just give it a try.”In 1997, Falun Gong was widely known in China for its reputation in promoting physical well-being and elevating moral character. It had received numerous accolades and gained support from prominent figures, including the former director of the General Administration of Sport of China, Wu Shaozu. Ms. Huang had heard her superior, Mr. Wu, express affirmation towards Falun Gong, so in the depths of despair, she grasped the lifeline and embraced the practice of Falun Gong.
Ms. Huang began practicing Falun Gong every day with her neighbor. At the same time, she delved into the core book of Falun Gong, “Zhuan Falun.”
On the seventh day of her practice, during the exercises, Ms. Huang felt a cool breeze emanating from the palm of her right hand, reminiscent of the refreshing air from an electric fan. This sensation fascinated her. She speculated that her prolonged immersion in water training might have led to an accumulation of cold and dampness in her body. Through practicing Falun Gong, she believed these accumulated elements were possibly being expelled. According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, people frequently exposed to cold and damp environments are prone to developing pain-related symptoms, as cold and dampness are two of the six pathogenic external factors.
After that, Ms. Huang experienced a profound sense of relaxation, and her complexion gradually returned to a rosy and healthy glow. The intensity of lumbar disc herniation during episodes significantly decreased, and she never experienced the severity that required bed rest again. Through consistent practice, within three months, the lumbar disc herniation no longer recurred. At around six months, the symptoms of intermittent low-grade fever, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath also vanished completely. She fully regained her vitality.
“Today, more than 20 years have passed, and I haven’t experienced a recurrence of any of the conditions. I’ve become very healthy,” she expressed with gratitude. “Falun Gong has given me a second lease on life.”
She shared that she has consciously made an effort to align herself with the principles of “truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance” taught by Falun Gong. “I slowly developed a tendency to prioritize others over myself, willingly enduring personal setbacks for the greater good. The impatience and quick temper within me also gradually faded away.”
Additionally, within the pages of “Zhuan Falun,” she found answers to the questions that had troubled her since childhood: “What is the purpose of life?” “Where do we go after death?”
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