Fan Jung-yu (范榮玉), a college athlete who was born with Treacher Collins syndrome, was awarded a scholarship by the Sunshine Foundation on Saturday last week.
Fan has had poor hearing, strabismus, astigmatism, sleep apnea and other complications since childhood.
Despite struggling academically and in daily life, she worked hard to overcome her physical challenges.
Photo provided by the Sunshine Foundation
Fan began playing badminton in the third grade, but when she began training, others excluded her, she said.
A badminton coach once asked her why she did not go to a school for people with hearing impairments and said she was “causing trouble” by wanting to become an athlete, Fan said.
She told herself to be patient and to not let other people’s judgements affect her life, she said.
In the past, Fan felt she was at a disadvantage, she said.
She said she let go of this mindset when she was defeated at a National Youth Cup competition and her high-school coach told her not to think it was natural to lose because she was different.
Her coach’s words encouraged her to stop thinking of herself as someone with a disability and to treat herself like any other athlete, Fan said.
Afterward, she began improving and has competed in several international sports competitions for the hearing impaired, she said.
In 2013, she won the gold medal in the women’s badminton singles event at the Summer Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria.
She is a pursuing a master’s degree at National Taiwan Normal University’s Department of Physical Education, and is to attend tryouts to represent Taiwan at the World Deaf Badminton Championships and the Asia Pacific Deaf Games next year.
When accepting the scholarship, Fan encouraged others like herself.
“Do not limit yourself because of your physical weaknesses and pursue your dream with courage,” she said.
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