—— Deng Yaping
1997 retired from Tsinghua University, got a bachelor's degree in 200 1, entered the University of Nottingham in the UK in September of the same year, got a master's degree in 12 in 2002, and entered Cambridge University to study for a doctorate in economics in the same year. Deng Yaping told the story of a world champion who struggled all the way to school. ...
Tsinghua: Start by writing 26 English letters.
"When I retired, I began to design my own future path. Some people think that athletes can only continue to engage in sports that they are familiar with, but I just want to prove that athletes can not only play well, but also do other things well. When I am no longer an athlete, my new starting point will begin. " Deng Yaping said.
"1At the end of 1996, I was nominated by Sa Lao as a member of the Sports Committee of the International Olympic Committee. I understand that this is not only the reuse and trust of the International Olympic Committee, but also a severe challenge. The official languages of the Olympic Committee are English and French. However, at this time, my English foundation is almost zero, and I know nothing about French. Faced with the contrast between such an important job and my foreign language level, I am very anxious. "
1996 After the Atlanta Olympic Games, when Deng Yaping first entered Tsinghua to study English as an undergraduate, her English was almost blank, and she had no English foundation, let alone her oral communication ability.
"With the feelings of excitement and uneasy into Tsinghua. The teacher depends on my level-you write 26 English letters to see. It took me a while to finally write it. After reading uppercase and lowercase letters for a while, I feel a little embarrassed-teacher, that's it. But please rest assured that I will work hard! "
"The story told by the teacher in class is tantamount to a gobbledygook for me. I can only try my best to listen, remember every word, go back to the dormitory, look up the dictionary a little, and recite a little. I made a study plan for myself: everything starts from scratch, and three firsts are adhered to-learning from the first page of the textbook and memorizing from the first letter and word; You must guarantee the study time of 14 hours every day, get up at 5 o'clock on time every day, read phonetic symbols, recite words and practice listening until the formal class; Organize the handouts in the evening and review the homework until midnight 12. " Because she devoted herself to her studies, Deng Yaping almost completely canceled the party with friends and unrelated social activities, and even called her parents less often. In order to improve her listening and conversation skills, she not only went to the language lab regularly, but also bought a multifunctional repeater. Because I always read while listening to the tape. Students always joke with her: "Yaping, you read all day, be careful of your lips!" " ""But I believe that without superhuman efforts, there would be no superhuman achievements. This is also my personal experience in the field for many years. "
The study pressure is great, and the classes are full every day. In addition to studying, Deng Yaping has to travel dozens of miles to the national team training base three times a week, and the degree of fatigue can be imagined.
"Every morning, I will find a lot of hair on the pillow, and I will lose a lot of hair when I comb my hair. I didn't care much, but the coach and teammates were surprised to see me:' Xiao Deng, what's wrong with you?' I said,' nothing, maybe the brain used for learning is different from that used for playing ball.' "
"Although they are all a word' bitter', I have a different feeling at this time: I used to be an athlete and I was too tired to move after training. As long as I heard the cheers, I gritted my teeth and survived; When encountering difficulties and obstacles, the coach dialed a little and got through; When the game was in trouble, the audience roared for motivation and turned the corner. But reading often requires a person to struggle alone. That poverty and loneliness is another kind of torture. Without will and perseverance, you can't persist. "
In order to master English faster, several English teachers suggested that Deng Yaping study abroad for a period of time. With their enthusiastic help, with the approval of Tsinghua University and the State Sports General Administration, Deng Yaping, who has just studied in Tsinghua for a few months, was sent to Cambridge University in England as an exchange student to attack English with the beginning of 1998.
Cambridge: Get up at 5 o'clock every morning to study.
1On February 26th, 998, Deng Yaping flew to Cambridge with mixed feelings. For her, this is naturally a very rare opportunity, but it is also a difficult start.
"The next day is the day of school. There are nine students in the class. The classroom is small. Nine desks and chairs are arranged in a semicircle towards the blackboard. The teacher asked everyone to introduce themselves first. Next, I gave you two handouts and started the lecture. There is no discipline in the class, and the way of explanation is very casual. When the teacher gave a lecture, the students scrambled to answer questions. I finished my class in the fog cover of Yunshan. Four or five weeks passed, and I spent fifteen or six hours every day, but the effect was not great, and the improvement of English level was not significant. As a transfer student, it is too difficult to catch up with other students. In addition, there are no teaching materials, and only handouts issued by teachers can be obtained in each class. This kind of teaching method is also difficult for me to adapt to. "
"The living environment is not satisfactory. Most international students studying in Britain live in British homes arranged by the school, and I am no exception. I want to live in an English home. On the one hand, I can learn more about British customs and people's feelings. On the other hand, I can have more opportunities for English conversation. But my landlady's house is too far from school, and the room and meals are very high. In addition to paying more than 200 pounds for rent every month, you have to pay more than 0/00 pounds for meals. Together, the two items cost about 5000 yuan a month. For me who went to school in England at my own expense, cherishing money is as important as cherishing time. "
"I remember the first time I wore rain-proof sportswear and rode a bike to school. Many students were puzzled: Why did the world champion ride a bike to school? Yes, world champions are also mortal. Everything I have is bought with sweat. Hard-won, I must cherish it very much. Difficulties in study and life bother me, and I am eager to change this situation. "
"Shortly after I arrived in England, I wanted to send some money home. However, I took the list at the post office, but I didn't know how to fill it out. The post office pointed to the list, but I looked blank. I stood in front of the post office, my eyes numb. What can I do? Ask who is going? I asked, but I still don't understand. Finally, I had to leave in a hurry. "
"Before school started, in order to familiarize me with the environment, the landlord drove me around the school. The next day, people didn't send it. Although I bought a bike, I can't find the way to school. I turned a corner and went to school. Always punctual, I became a late student. I was so anxious that I blurted out a few explanations, but I couldn't understand them. I can't forget the taste and embarrassment now! "
Newham College, where Deng Yaping attended, is a small college affiliated to Cambridge University, similar to the domestic language college. The students here are mainly international students, and Deng Yaping is an international student from Chinese mainland.
"When I first arrived in Cambridge, although I worked hard, the effect was not obvious. I know, this is because my language foundation is still quite weak. If I want to stand up and study hard in an elite university like Cambridge, I need to go all out to fight. Learning is the same as physical exercise. There are no shortcuts to find, and there will be no beautiful things that fall from the sky. Everything depends on yourself. " In order to catch up with her homework, Deng Yaping gets up early and only sleeps for a few hours every day.
"In the first month or two, I couldn't understand what the teacher said. I copied everything the teacher wrote on the blackboard. When you get home, look it up in the dictionary and read it yourself. Everyday life is monotonous, and the class time is four and a half hours. There is a lot of homework after class. Eating seems very troublesome to me. I only have an hour's rest at noon. I usually don't go back to the dormitory, just eat the sandwiches I brought in the morning and then read for a while. I often eat my own instant noodles, vegetables, tomatoes and eggs in the evening. I have to study until 12 o'clock almost every day before I can sleep. "
Although the foundation is worse than other students, she is always unwilling to surpass others. This competitive mentality gradually began to change: "After all, the foundation is different, from athletes to students is a very big turning point, and there must be a process for learning to rise."
Back in Tsinghua, Deng Yaping's graduation thesis was titled "The History and Development of National Football Team". From the opening report, to the first submission of the paper, and even to the final revision of the paper, Deng Yaping not only reached the standard for each item, but also completed it step by step ahead of schedule.
"I finally put on my bachelor hat. At the graduation ceremony, I addressed the teacher in fluent English. "
Nottingham: It can be seen from her study motivation that she is a world champion.
In September, 20001year, Deng Yaping entered the University of Nottingham from Tsinghua to study for a master's degree. "I originally preferred Cambridge, where the scenery is lovely and I am fascinated. But I went to Nottingham University because Nottingham University has the best foreign language department in Britain. "
"Mentor don't know much about me. He seems a little uneasy, worrying about whether an athlete can finish his studies. I sincerely said to my tutor: I may be worse than your other students, please take more trouble. I may take a course that others can understand twice or even many times, others will take a year, and I may take a year and a half or even two years. But no matter how hard and how long it takes, I will take my studies down! I am a very strong and stubborn person, so I will try my best to do everything well. "
"In Britain, there are two ways to master. A kind of exam-oriented education. That is, one class in the last class until all courses are passed; The other is to do research with the tutor and write a paper after the research. If the thesis passes, I can graduate. I take the second method. What is more difficult than language is the way of learning here, which is really different from that in China. I have my own tutor, but I don't meet often. He often provides me with reading lists, and I go to the library or university to find books and read them. Ask him to meet and answer questions if you have any questions. At first, I was not used to this way. What's more, my major is' China Contemporary Studies', an unpopular major, which seems to have nothing to do with sports. Even the library may not have relevant materials. In this way, I have to look in different libraries and universities. However, it seems that this is also one of the important gains of my study abroad. The new way of learning has taught me to find ways to achieve my goals in complex situations. "
"When I play ball, my eyesight is 1.5. It dropped rapidly after school started. Now one eye is 0.6. Learning is completely different from playing ball. I don't get enough sleep. I always feel sleepy in class. I can't open my eyes. The more I sit, the more sleepy I get. I want to hold my eyelids up with a stick. But the teacher is sitting opposite, and you can't sleep, let alone slip the number. This feeling was particularly obvious at first. Later, I gradually adapted to this life, knew how to arrange my own work and rest, and found some rules. "
"My research topic is From Little Foot Girl to Olympic Champion, and the example is China Women's Table Tennis Team. In order to study this topic, I read some research materials about female athletes in China, most of which were written by foreigners. These foreigners don't really understand the life and growth experience of female athletes in China, so their research is not in place. I hope that from me, someone will really pay attention to the research on women in China and women athletes in China. I also hope that by studying abroad, I can try my best to avoid misunderstandings caused by cultural differences between the East and the West, so as to better introduce China and let the world know about China. In international sports, it is not easy for people to understand your opinions and accept your ideas. "
In her study, she showed energy when she played ball. It is said that the courses arranged by the teacher are saturated, there are classes every day of the week, and the homework on weekends is not good. After finishing homework, you have to prepare for next week's class, and so on. But she still feels "absorbed" not enough.
No wonder, she was really worried. As soon as Deng Yaping put down her racket, she became a young member of the Athletes' Committee of the International Olympic Committee. When she went to the meeting, she couldn't wait to speak fluent English. As a result, the table tennis world champion quietly sprouted a desire to enter the advanced class early and March to the master next year.
In the course of attending classes at Nottingham University, Deng Yaping always seized every opportunity to speak. The teacher joked that judging from her study ability, she was the world champion. "Class is over, and I have to hurry to find another teacher to do individual tutoring. This is a separate tutoring time specially arranged by the school for each student's different problems in learning. Every time before going out for a meeting, the teacher will help me prepare my speech materials and correct my pronunciation, intonation and way of speaking. In addition, the school also gave me a special course to teach me how to interview in English. At school, I live a typical college student's 3.1 life, which is no different from those ordinary campus girls. "
"I must get this master's degree, and I must get it at a foreign university." In that case, she may win another first prize among the Olympic champions in China. As a student of Nottingham University, Deng Yaping has a tight schedule every day. "In addition to taking classes in the language department, I have to take classes in the English department. There is still a lot of homework after class, and the lunch break is only one hour. "
"There is another meaning for me through the language barrier. At that time, I was a member of the Athletes' Committee of the International Olympic Committee and was also in charge of a project of the ITTF. If you can't communicate with others, then everything is zero. At the same time, there is also a public image, which means that after all, I represent China and China athletes, so the mental outlook is very important. "
A year later, Deng Yaping read a 35,000-word paper from a woman with little feet to an Olympic champion in English, facing a strict examiner. This paper discusses the great development and changes of women's sports in China and China with detailed and vivid materials and clear and powerful arguments. The unanimous conclusion of the on-site examiner is: unconditional! On February 22nd, 2002, 65438+, she got a master's degree. Mr Samaranch praised her for "having the key to the world".
At this point, from 65438 to 0997, Deng Yaping entered Tsinghua, and spent nearly six spring and autumn periods on campus, turning the primary school "education" into a graduate degree. Deng Yaping admits that from athletes to students, especially an international student, she has made no less efforts than playing ball. "From knowing nothing about English to skillfully communicating with professors in English, from strangers to friends all over the UK, from confusion at the beginning to meeting challenges later, every step has been very hard. But overseas life opened a door for me and let me really understand the world. "
At the same time, as a member of Beijing's Olympic bid, she went to Moscow to help Beijing win the right to host the 2008 Olympic Games.
2001July 13, Deng Yaping appealed to IOC members in fluent English: Please give China athletes a chance to host the Olympic Games!
Back to Cambridge: Study hard and freeze jiaozi.
There is no end to knowledge. In 2002, like a long-distance runner, she stood at a new starting line and started a new struggle-she confidently studied for a doctorate in economics in Cambridge, and her research direction was "the influence of the 2008 Olympic Games on contemporary China". Deng Yaping's "China Studies" continued.
On February 24, 2003, Deng Yaping, who was studying for a doctorate in Cambridge, returned. In BOCOG, the new busyness began again. "Peter Newland, my tutor in Cambridge, is a world economist who has studied China's economy for more than 30 years. He knows the importance of the 2008 Olympic Games in stimulating China's economy, and it will have high economic research value. He thinks that I can not only serve my motherland when I return to China, but also collect first-hand precious materials for my thesis. Therefore, he specially authorized me to study while working in China. The future work is very hard, but this is a very good opportunity. "
During the Spring Festival holiday in 2004, in order to write her doctoral thesis at Cambridge University, she gave up the reunion with her relatives, bought a pile of frozen jiaozi and ate jiaozi with her every day.
"Some people may think I'm asking for it. Some people even say that you have many honors, and you can live a good life without a degree. You don't have to work so hard to get a degree. You can even find a "gunman" to write a paper. But I didn't go to college for gilding. I just went to school to finish my dream of reading. In the contact with foreign friends, I deeply felt the lack of knowledge and poor communication. Although the foundation is not good, I don't want to take shortcuts by accident, not to mention the internationally renowned universities such as Tsinghua and Cambridge, which I attended, are rigorous in their studies and cannot be tampered with! "
Jiaozi can be quick-frozen, but it is difficult for talents to be quick-frozen. Deng Yaping's academic success and brilliant playing table tennis are not actually due to her exceptional talent. On the contrary, she overcame one difficulty after another and won a new gold medal on the road of life with perseverance and positive attitude towards life, regardless of her studies or playing ball.
"I am still a member of the IOC Athletes' Committee, the Sports and Environment Committee and the Reform Committee. Especially the Athletes' Committee, whose members are all very famous Olympic champions, have their own rights and interests. I have been a member of Asia for a long time, so I am not only the representative of China, but also the representative of Asia. I have the responsibility to fight for the rights and interests of athletes in Asia and third world countries. "Thanks to Deng Yaping's efforts, the Athletes' Committee has proposed to the IOC Executive Committee that when recommending IOC members, there must be an Asian member (***8 people).
And she has been studying for a doctorate in Cambridge for the second year. Talking about his studies, Deng Yaping said, "It's really difficult, it's really difficult, and I feel a lot of pressure. I just stretch all day, so I feel particularly hard. But I want to thank this experience as a student, because it let me see another world and find my new value. If the winners of the Asian Games, the World Table Tennis Championships and the Olympic Games are three grand slams in my table tennis career, then getting a bachelor's degree from Tsinghua, a master's degree from Nottingham University and a doctorate from Cambridge is another grand slam I want to complete. "
Fight, fight, fight again! Whether as an athlete or a student, Deng Yaping is almost demanding of himself: "I must do it well, I have no reason not to do it well!" This is a kind of confidence!