Nailing it! Jiang surges to swimming glory

Defying the odds

Jiang lost her right arm and leg in a car accident when she was just three years old.

She took up swimming at the age of eight, and by 13, she was a national champion; by 14, she had won gold at the Asian Para Games; and by 17, she had claimed a Paralympic title.

Her rise has been meteoric, but it is the result of tireless dedication. While most swimmers start with breaststroke, Jiang had to begin with freestyle due to her unique physical condition.

As a swimmer who relies on the strength of just one side of her body, Jiang must master the rhythm and precision of her movements to stay afloat. Even the slightest disruption can cause her body to sink.

In 2017, Jiang joined the Zhejiang provincial para swimming team, where she committed to a grueling regimen of at least 10,000 meters a day. The team's coach, Feng Jie, describes Jiang as the "ideal athlete "that every coach dreams of: She possesses a strong foundation, willingly endures the rigors of training, and even relishes the pressure and challenges of competition.

Yet, when it comes to natural ability, Feng admits, "Jiang doesn't have an exceptional 'feel' for the water; her body feels heavy in the water."

Due to her missing right arm, Jiang must make 11 more strokes than her competitors in the 50m freestyle. Feng noted that Jiang is intensely competitive, often challenging male swimmers and those with less severe disabilities.

"She meticulously studies her technique and identifies her weaknesses," Feng said.

Despite her ongoing struggles with breaststroke, Jiang continues to push her boundaries. At last year's Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, where she won seven gold medals and one bronze, the latter came in the 200m individual medley SM6.

It was her first time competing in the event on the international stage.

For Jiang, the freedom of gliding through the water and the thrill of standing on the podium make the intense training and competition worthwhile.

"In the water, I don't need prosthetics or crutches; with my own strength, I can control my direction," she said in the documentary Above Water.

The film, which began production in 2018 and took six years to complete, chronicles the journeys of several Chinese para athletes in water-related events, including Jiang.

Now a sophomore at Beijing Sports University, Jiang hopes her story will inspire others. "By participating in para ports and competing on the Paralympic stage, many people with disabilities will see me. I want to convey that with dreams and determination, and by continually striving, we can all be seen and shine brightly," she said.