The May episode of "Taking Off", themed "Never Stop", tells the stories of three characters who are athletes. In life, some never stop pushing their limits, some never stop bringing glory to their country, and some never stop sharing knowledge and inspiring many generations. These people have not stopped at any obstacles to bring value to themselves and to society.
Nguyen Thi Huong - The New Miracle of Vietnamese Canoeing
April 21, 2024, was a historic moment for Vietnamese canoeing. In the final race of the women's 200m single canoe at the Asian Canoeing Championship, the qualifying round for the 2024 Paris Olympics held in Japan, Nguyen Thi Huong made an incredible sprint in the last 100 meters of the race to finish second with a time of 49.351 seconds. Nguyen Thi Huong became the first Vietnamese canoeist to earn an official spot in the Olympics. Remarkably, it took Nguyen Thi Huong just six years from the time she started canoeing to reach the pinnacle at the SEA Games, and now has a ticket to Paris for the 2024 Olympics.
Nguyen Thi Huong was drawn to sports with a very simple thought: to get free meals and shelter, easing the burden on her family. She began her career in wrestling and became an athlete for the Vinh Phuc provincial wrestling team. After the wrestling team disbanded, Nguyen Thi Huong was transferred to the canoeing team. It was a very challenging transition for her because the two sports are completely different .
Through relentless effort, Nguyen Thi Huong progressed from local to international competitions, earning her first medals in her sports career. She had unforgettable experiences in her fight for an Olympic ticket. . From the nervousness and fear at the start of the competition to the belief that she would win to the overwhelming joy when she realized she had secured the prestigious Olympic ticket. "That feeling was an explosion; I just wanted to scream, 'Coach, everyone, I've done it!'" Nguyen Thi Huong said.
"Canoeing races are decided in a matter of minutes. But to shorten that result is a grueling process for the athletes. You can win in the first 30 seconds, but if you lose focus for even a moment, you can lose the race," Nguyen Thu Huong said. "The limits of man are infinite, so I want to conquer many challenges and new heights to test myself, and I will never stop as long as I can."
Ho Thi Thanh Van - The 2022 World's Talented Young Scientist
The effects of climate change are vast and global, with noticeable phenomena such as rising temperatures, rapidly melting of polar ice, rising sea levels, and shrinking habitable areas. Extreme weather events like rain, floods, droughts, and saltwater intrusion require a transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy sources to achieve a low greenhouse gas emission economy. Fuel cells, as a form of renewable energy, are among the solutions that need development and promotion.
On June 22, 2022, at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris, France, the UNESCO Science Council and the L'Oréal Foundation presented the 2022 World's Talented Young Scientist Award to Ho Thi Thanh Van. She received this prestigious recognition for her outstanding contributions to science and technology with her project "Research and Development of Fuel Cells and Green Hydrogen Energy – Establishing a Green, Renewable, and Sustainable Energy Cycle."
Ho Thi Thanh Van acknowledges that women in science still face gender biases. However, by demonstrating their capability, strength, and willingness to speak up and take action, these biases can be overcome, and one may even gain support from organizations and governments. Women in scientific research naturally possess meticulousness and patience, but they also need to be bold, strong, and resilient to succeed.
"There were times when I had to decide whether to continue or to stop," said Assoc. Dr. Ho Thi Thanh Van. "One option was to stop my current research and accept the existing state of scientific research in Vietnam, or to continue. At that moment, I thought I didn't have enough financial resources or manpower to develop this work on my own. In the end, I decided to persevere because if I stopped, Vietnam would never have access to this new technology. We would fall far behind the developed countries. I was very young at the time, but I couldn't accept the idea of giving up."
"When the Vietnamese flag was raised in France, I felt honored to be Vietnamese, proud that our science and technology have truly established a position on the world scientific map. I remembered my thoughts about leaving my country to return and contribute to it, not stopping in the face of difficulties," concluded Ho Thi Thanh Van.
Le Duy Ung - The Artist Who Painted a Portrait of Uncle Ho with Blood from His Injured Eyes
Born into a poor peasant family in central Vietnam, artist Le Duy Ung (b. 1947) joined the army while still a university student. Unfortunately, he was severely wounded and lost his eyesight during a fierce battle at the gates of Saigon. In the precarious moments of clinging to life, the image of Uncle Ho appeared vividly and brightly to him, serving as a beacon of hope to keep on living. He painted a portrait of Uncle Ho with the blood from his injured eyes and inscribed it with the words: "Light of Faith! I vow to dedicate my youth to you. 28/4/1975." The painting was created in the midst of the fierce battle at the entrance to Saigon, in the last moments of consciousness before Le Duy Ung fainted from his severe wounds.
A few days later, the struggle for national liberation achieved total victory, and North and South Vietnam were reunited. Le Duy Ung was treated in military hospitals in both the South and the North. There were times when his sight returned, but after two eye transplants, his chance to see was lost again. However, whether he could see or not, he continued to paint tirelessly. Now, his eyes can only vaguely perceive daylight and nighttime shadows, but Le Duy Ung still paints portraits of Uncle Ho from memory, with complete reverence and love for him. He paints and sculpts statues of Uncle Ho, taking the national leader as an endless source of inspiration.
"I think I will continue to work," said artist Le Duy Ung. "Uncle Ho said that wounded soldiers may be disabled but not useless. I will continue to make statues... Many people say I am old and my eyes can't see clearly, so I should stop, but I will never stop. If I ever stop, it will only be when I no longer have the strength."
