Standing in the Arc de Triomphe 'Undaunted Iron Man'Kim Hwang-tae'I'm the first Korean to swim in the Seine"

Sep 04, 2024

photo courtesy of the Korea Sports Council for the Disabled

"I'm the first Korean to swim in the Seine River." Kim Hwang-tae (47), a member of the disabled triathlon team who crossed the Seine without using both arms, smiled brightly. Kim Hwang-tae, a hero who graced the Paralympics with challenge and will, met in front of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on the 3rd (Korea Standard Time).

Kim Hwang-tae clocked 1 hour 24 minutes and 01 seconds in the triathlon PTS3 grade match held on the 2nd, ranking 10th out of 11 players. Ranking did not matter to him, who ran 750m swimming, 20km cycling, and 5km track and field courses. This is because I achieved my goal just by swimming out of the Seine.

Kim Hwang-tae said "The flow rate was slow during pre-practice, but it was faster during the main game. The flow rate in the first leg was very fast. It was hard when I went back on that part. I tried all the strokes, and the answer was backstroke." Compared to freestyle and breaststroke, using a lot of backstroke, which is slower and more difficult, caused muscle strain. It also affected cycling and track records.

photo courtesy of the Korea Sports Council for the Disabled

Kim Hwang-tae said "The goal was to survive. I'm satisfied because I survived the Seine River twice until last year's pre-tournament." He said "Although we can't see bacteria or bacteria, the water was clearer and more transparent than I thought," he said with a smile. Many people were touched by his performance. In downtown Paris, some people recognized and greeted Kim Hwang-tae. Kim Hwang-tae received many calls on SNS. Thank you."

Kim Hwang-tae lost both arms in August 2000 when he was electrocuted by a high-voltage wire while working on a wire construction. have been in a deep slump for a year Standing up, he studied various sports, including track and field, Nordic skiing, and taekwondo, aiming to participate in the Paralympics. Then, I started after hearing that triathlon became an official event.

In front of the Arc de Triomphe with his eternal love wife, Kim Jin-hee.. Photo courtesy = Korea Sports Council for the Disabled

It was his wife Kim Jin-hee who gave him the most strength. Kim is Kim Hwang-tae's handler. It helps change sports clothes and wear equipment between sports and sports. Time for transition (preparation for the next event) is also included in the competition. Kim Hwang-tae's transition time in this competition was 1 minute and 6 seconds, the fastest among 11 players. It's amazing that the couple worked faster than the player who returned with my own hands. Kim Hwang-tae said "If you're five seconds behind in the transition, you have to make up for it somewhere else. It's important because it takes so much power."

Kim Jin-hee said, `Naturally, I was recommended to be a guardian and try to be a handler. I think I'm psychologically stable because we're together." Kim Hwang-tae "Because we are together 24 hours a day, sometimes we argue tropical times a day. But I understand and make up because I'm trying to do well.'

Kim Hwang-tae had an accident just a month before the meeting of the two families. Kim Hwang-tae said "My wife came and went to the hospital in Seoul and took care of me. I'm still having a hard time, and thank you." With the introduction of a friend living on Ulleungdo Island, the two of them, who met for seven years, became a couple without breaking their relationship until the end. Kim Jin-hee said "They held out well together because they are people who go through it well."

He had a lot of helpers. After deciding to challenge the triathlon, I contacted Moon Jae-hong, manager of the sports promotion department of the Korea Sports Association for the Disabled. I needed expensive equipment, but there was no federation or association at the time, so I needed the help of the sports association. Manager Moon rented equipment and went around looking for sponsors. Coach Kim Jung-ho, a first-generation non-disabled triathlon player, also helped. Coach Kim swam with Kim Hwang-tae at the Seine River during pre-training. Kim Hwang-tae laughed, saying, `I was the first Korean to swim in the Seine, and the director was the second to swim.'

Kim Hwang-tae's wish is one. The history of the Korean Triathlon Paralympics does not end there. Kim Hwang-tae said "After Taekwondo Joo Jung-hoon won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Games, there were a lot of athletes. The Korean Triathlon Federation for the Disabled was established in May this year, but it is not a political organization yet. Looking at me, I want many players to try. In addition, we hope that support will increase.'

After the game, Kim Hwang-tae shed tears. He said "My wife was crying talking about her parents' struggles. At that moment, I thought 'My life was selfish' My wife always sacrificed herself. Since I started working out in 2007, I've always been away on weekends. I'm sorry and grateful to my daughter." Kim Jin-hee said, `Now I want you to exercise more comfortably. I wish I could spend more time with my family." Kim Hwang-tae also said, `I think this will be the end of the Paralympic challenge.'

During the Paralympics, he only stayed in the athletes' village to concentrate on the games. It wasn't until I left the country that I briefly toured downtown Paris with my wife and staff. He said, `When I go back to Korea, I want to have pork belly and soju" he laughed. Paris = Joint Compromise Foundation

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