Chan Yui-lam burst into tears as she stepped onto the podium at the Paris Paralympic Games in August.
At 20 years old, Chan received a silver medal in the women’s S14 100-metre butterfly event. The Hongkonger proudly held up her medal and Eiffel Tower plush toy, tears brimming in her eyes.
“Stepping on the podium has fulfilled my dream ... I’m so honoured,” said Chan, a full-time athlete who recently celebrated her 21st birthday.
“It is so rare [to get a medal], and the preparation process for the Paralympics was very hard, and I really didn’t expect to achieve this.”
Retired Paralympian shares what’s changed for Hong Kong’s disabled athletes today
Early years
Growing up with an intellectual disability, Chan sometimes struggled to interpret nuances in language.
“Most people know that I have this kind of intellectual disability, but they might not know the best way to communicate with me,” Chan said through a Cantonese translator. “In the mainstream, people can express underlying meaning with facial expressions and tone, but I can only understand the direct meaning.”
As a child, she attended a school for students with special educational needs. There, teachers created a comfortable learning environment for her.
When Chan was about 10 years old, her mother enrolled her in swim lessons.
“I was really afraid of swimming in the beginning because I could not reach the bottom of the pool,” recalled Chan, who added that she began to enjoy the sport after attending more classes.
However, her disability has affected her training, particularly when she is communicating with her coach.
“The coach will give verbal instructions, and I may not be able to understand what the instruction is,” she said. “Rather than explaining verbally, [the coach knows] I can understand better with visuals.”
Passion drove Chan’s steady improvement, and soon she made a name for herself in international competitions.
Road to the Paralympics
It was only after Chan won a silver medal in her first international competition – the 2018 World Para Swimming World Series – that she felt motivated to strive for a spot at the Paralympics.
“I saw more athletes [at the competition] who gave me inspiration, which made me feel even more powerful. So I really wanted to go to the Paralympics next,” she said.
A few years later, Chan’s dream became a reality when she qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics.
“I was so shocked!” she said. “I didn’t expect to be able to go there.”
But when the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions closed pools, Chan was nervous about competing in Tokyo since she could not train consistently.
To her surprise, she exceeded her expectations by placing fourth in the women’s S14 100-metre butterfly final, just 0.15 seconds behind third. The S14 category is for athletes with intellectual impairments.
Your Voice: Paralympic Games deserve more attention
Rather than feeling disappointed at missing out on a bronze medal, Chan was motivated to train harder for the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
“I was excited and nervous at the same time because it’s such a big stage,” she said. “But I had improved in terms of swimming for Paris, and my experience ... in the Tokyo Paralympics improved my mental preparation, which made me calm [for Paris].”
She added: “I really wanted to be on the podium.”
Chan competed in six swimming events in Paris, all within the women’s S14 category. The race that put her on top was, once again, the S14 100-metre butterfly.
Her time of 1:03.70 not only got her a silver medal but also set a new Asian record. After emerging from the pool, Chan jumped around in celebration, waving to the crowd.
She was also able to share this special moment with other members of the Hong Kong team.
“On the last competition day, all my teammates and coaches surprised me and ... [we] celebrated the end of the Paralympics together,” she said.
A space for athletes of all abilities
Chan has been inspired by the incredible talent and camaraderie at the Tokyo and Paris Paralympics.
“Everyone learns from each other,” she shared.
The 2024 Paris Games were the first Paralympics in history to provide live coverage for all 22 sports. Broadcasters in the United States and Britain saw record highs in viewership. Despite this, para-athletes often remain in the shadow of their Olympic counterparts.
Chan said she was grateful for the live coverage of the Paralympics in Hong Kong and the push for education around these events. But she thinks there could be more promotion around Paralympic sports, citing an overall need to raise awareness.
As a young, successful para-swimmer, Chan is quickly becoming an inspiration for other young athletes. Her advice is to envision a solid goal and pursue it.
“No matter what kind of disability you may have, set a clear goal. There is no boundary within you,” she said.
Chan is taking her own advice as she looks ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
“When I got second place in the Paris Paralympics, I told myself that I would get a gold medal and get a world record next time,” she said.
Why this story matters: Hong Kong’s delegation won a total of eight medals at the Paris Paralympic Games, and it is important to recognise and celebrate the hard work of the city’s para-athletes.
