18-Year-Old Prodigy Wins Olympic Gold: Her Life is on Fire!

The Beijing Winter Olympics schedule is nearing its end. During these days of competition, the name Gu Ailing has left a deep impression on the editor's mind. This 18-year-old prodigy, representing China for the first time at the Winter Olympics, has achieved an impressive result of xx medals.

On February 8th, Gu Ailing, in an event that was not her strongest—the women's freestyle skiing competition—won her first medal of this Winter Olympics, and also secured a valuable third gold medal for the Chinese Winter Olympics delegation. Looking back at her previous track record, Gu Ailing was selected for the professional ski team at age 8, the only girl on the team; at 13, she started winning first place. By 14, she had won 9 national championships and over 50 medals. This led many netizens to exclaim: "This is what a life on fire looks like!"

There's a saying: "Outsiders only see the surface glory; they don't see the daily efforts and sacrifices." Gu Ailing's unstoppable life did not happen overnight.

The world calls Gu Ailing a "prodigy," but she herself says, "I only have 0.1% talent." Behind that 0.1% talent is Gu Ailing's total passion for skiing and extraordinary hard work.

From the time she started practicing skiing, she traveled over 300 kilometers from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe, a one-way trip of four to five hours, every weekend, for ten years. Training was exhausting, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and she often had to eat on the ski lift.

In 2016, Gu Ailing broke her collarbone and resumed training after seven weeks of rest. In 2018, during a jump training session, she suffered a bone fissure in her foot. At the end of 2018, she hit her head during a competition training session, lost her memory on the spot, and was diagnosed with a concussion. Before the 2021 World Championships, she broke her right hand again, resulting in a comminuted fracture, and also suffered a torn ligament in her thumb.

A fine sword is honed through grinding; plum blossoms are fragrant from the bitter cold. Gu Ailing's success is inseparable from her family's support, but even more so from her own efforts and unwavering determination. Now, standing on the stage of the Winter Olympics, she continually surpasses herself with the optimism unique to the "Frog Princess."

Skiing is flying, it's fun, it's creation. For Gu Ailing, skiing is more about passion and a playful mindset. She always treats herself as her biggest opponent: "To be the best isn't about pushing others down; it's about being the best that you can be."

Looking ahead, let us all wish the brave, optimistic, and persistent Gu Ailing well. Zhang Wanfu Jewelry also hopes that everyone can explore their true self and ultimate self in the things they love.