'200 Out of 100!' Paralympic Triathlon, Kim Hwang-tae's completion is the perfect finale of the Iron Man
Sep 02, 2024
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For the past 10 years, Kim Hwang-tae (47, Incheon Sports Council for the Disabled) has seen only one place and played. There was no time to look around. This is because of the temperament that must be achieved once the goal has been decided. 'Playing in the Paralympics for the national team' For this one thing, Kim Hwang-tae worked for 10 years. He chose Taekwondo in skiing, and at the end, he chose the Triathlon, which even abnormal people cannot dare to do.
Even if he didn't look back separately, his wife Kim Jin-hee always stood by Kim Hwang-tae with a 'handler (playing assistant)'. He became both arms and hands lost in an electric shock accident, and he became a support to keep wanting to give up due to hard training and frequent injuries. In a way, Kim Hwang-tae's triathlon can be seen as a race between Kim Jin-hee and Kim Jin-hee. I didn't make it by myself.
Finally, on the day of his 10-year wish, Kim Hwang-tae shed tears and confessed what he couldn't say to his wife. "Respect, thank you. I was so sorry, and I love you." Perhaps Kim Hwang-tae has been waiting for the moment to shout this out loud for the past 10 years.
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The triathlon, which adds up the course records of 750m swimming, 20km cycling, and 5km running to determine the final ranking, is also called 'iron triathlon'. It's hard to play each of the three events, but you have to do it all at once. Even non-disabled people are difficult to digest without considerable physical strength. In particular, you should take out your swimming skills in the river or sea.
For Kim Hwang-tae, a severely disabled person without arms, the strong current was too strong a stumbling block. Before coming to Paris, Kim Hwang-tae said, `I really want to finish the race, but I'm worried that I won't be able to get out of the Seine River.' For Kim Hwang-tae, swimming in the Seine River was like a life-threatening adventure.
After much consideration, Kim Hwang-tae changed the technique and cut the rough current of the Seine River. He "Originally mixed freestyle and equilibrium, it was difficult to overcome the flow velocity of the Seine River in this way. That's why I used more than 70% of the backstroke." It was a survival strategy to complete the race. Manager Kim Jung-ho's help was absolute. Kim Hwang-tae hesitated during pre-practice two days ago. The fear was great. Then, the director himself jumped into the Seine River and swam with him. Thanks to this, I was able to learn to cope with the flow without fear," he added.
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He shed tears that he had endured. The tears of the iron man made the surroundings solemn. "My wife came after my dream even though she was having a hard time. My daughter was also taken care of by my parents. I am an adult now, but I have spent a lot of time alone since I was young. I regret myself for being so selfish. I was able to stand here now because I had my family." These are the inner thoughts of Cheol-in, who was belatedly revealed.
Finally, after achieving his goal, Kim Hwang-tae brought up what he really wanted to say. He "I'm severely disabled, and I challenged myself to extreme exercise and completed it. I hope other disabled people don't get frustrated, using me as a motif. When you come out and exercise, and social harmony, your life becomes prosperous and bright. You can also find health. I want (the disabled) to come out into society."
Paris (France) = Reporter Lee Won-man wman@sportschosun.com
wman@sportschosun.com
