Last week, Hou Bin, a Chinese high jumper who won Paralympic titles at three consecutive Paralympic games from Atlanta 1996 through Athens 2004, visited AISG as a part of our Annual Fund Speaker Series. He shared his inspirational story, from losing a leg as a child to setting a world record and being chosen as the torchbearer who lit the Olympic cauldron at the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

He lost a leg in a train accident when he was nine years old, but that didn't stop him from challenging himself. He has traveled the world competing and defending his high jump world record of 1.92 meters and has even challenged one of the biggest deserts in the Gobi Desert Race.

He is a hero who moved the world when he lifted himself in a wheelchair at the Opening Ceremony to light the torch. However, he continues to be a hero with his motivational speeches, his philanthropy work of providing prothesis to other athletes with disabilities so they can compete in the Paralympics, and his passion for lifelong learning with his pursuit of educational degrees even to this day.

Hou Bin gifted our students with his stories about hardship, sacrifice, and resilience. For instance, he faced his loss after suddenly being inspired from watching Olympic athletes compete on the world stage and winning medals in their respective event. He decided that he also wanted to be on the podium and found an event that didn’t require extensive training equipment or funding for an advanced prosthesis – the high jump! By using the basic materials that were in his local factory and his simple prosthesis, his will and determination took care of the rest.

While training, he was told by multiple people that he would never achieve his goal, that his disability would prevent him from excelling at the sport. Nevertheless, he persisted and practiced endlessly, perfecting his high jump by jumping on just one leg. He also set a seemingly impossible goal of 2 meters while everyone else had the goal of 1.8. This paid off in the 1996 Paralympics when he succeeded in winning the gold medal, as well as beating the world record for disabled athletes, jumping an impressive 1.92 meters.

To the audience, Hou Bin discussed the importance of never giving up and that no goal is impossible. He shared that we should never limit our goals, that slow progress is still progress. It was incredibly inspiring to see someone who doesn’t let anything stop them or slow them down and be able to make it to the top of their field.

Another important life lesson he shared was that we should be our biggest cheerleader. Even if we don’t succeed, we tried, and that should be celebrated. We should always congratulate our opponents because we should always encourage others to do their best. His final message to us, which will stay with us as we face ongoing challenges and continue to dream and set goals: Life is limitless! Be the champion of yourself.

Our Speaker Series brings extraordinary speakers from all over the world to share their expertise with the AISG community. This is made possible by donations to our Annual Fund. To learn more about our Speaker Series and to see future and past speakers, click here.