SHANGHAI: Tears fill Gui Yuna's eyes as she describes losing her right leg in a road accident aged seven and school bullies kicking away her crutch to make her fall.
But they would not dare do that now - the 35-year-old is a prize-winning bodybuilder and former Paralympian whose inspirational story has gone viral in China.
Gui, who competed in long jump at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, is new to bodybuilding but won the first time she competed in October.
Images of her strutting on stage in a high-heel shoe and bikini - all while leaning on her crutch - featured heavily in Chinese media and won her a sizeable online following.
With her steely determination and positive attitude she has been feted as an inspiration in a country where disabled people are all too often marginalised.
"It's possible that I won first place not because of my professionalism or muscles, but because of my confidence and bravery to stand on the stage and show myself to everyone," Gui said.
She spoke following an intense workout at a Shanghai gym, sessions that she regularly posts to her 200,000 followers on TikTok.
Gui has almost no memory of the fateful day when she was hit by a truck as she came home from school.
But she cannot forget how, as a young child with only a
stump where her right leg used to be, children at school tormented her by
kicking away her crutch or yanking away her chair as she sat down.
"They called me a cripple or 'three-legged cat'," said Gui, tears welling in her eyes, even though this was nearly three decades ago.
"Most of the time it was abusive language like that and sometimes physical abuse.
"The first time they made me fall I cried, but then I got used to it and I thought: You can bully me however you want, but I'll be fine because I have a brave heart."
Gui, who is from the southern city of Nanning, was raised by her mother because her father died before she was born.
The odds were stacked against her but Gui's athleticism matched her determination and in 2001 she became involved in paralympic sports, going on to represent China at the 2004 Games, finishing seventh in her long jump category.
She also did high jump and later archery, and took part in the torch relay for the 2008 Beijing Summer Games and Paralympics.
After retiring from competition in 2017, Gui endured yet more discrimination in the working world, rejected by employers who said she didn't match their "image".
"(They were) implying that I'd damage their image," she said.
"I applied to nearly 20 companies and all of them said the same thing."
And while many online commended her after her bodybuilding debut, where she dazzled in a traditional high-necked qipao dress and beat able-bodied rivals, there were a few dissenting voices telling her to stay at home.
Occasionally people on the street ask Gui what happened to her right leg and she is taken aback - missing a limb is so normal to her now that she no longer thinks about it.
Gui's crutch is always close at hand but she appears to have few troubles negotiating everyday life.
"Many people think that fate was unkind to me, but I don't think so," said Gui, who after the initial rejections is now a partner at a company specialising in home decoration.
"I am thankful for having these hardships.
"Why do I say that? Because of this I grew up, it made my heart stronger and made me what I am today."
Source: AFP/ lk
Gui Yuna含着泪描述了她在七岁时的一次交通意外中失去了右腿，而又遭到学校同学故意将她的拐杖踢倒使她摔倒。
但这些恶霸现在不敢再这样对待她-现年35岁的她是一位屡获殊荣的健美运动员，曾是残奥会的运动员，其励志故事也在中国风靡一时。
在2004年雅典残奥会跳远比赛中，虽然Gui Yuna在健美运动领域还是个新人，但是她十月份第一次参加比赛便获得了冠军。
她穿着高跟鞋和比基尼在舞台上站着的照片-一直靠在拐杖上-在中国媒体上广为报道，并赢得了她在网上的大量关注。
她坚韧的决心和积极的态度使她成为一个残疾人经常被边缘化的启发。
桂说：“我之所以获得第一名，可能不是因为我的专业知识或力量，而是因为我有信心和勇气站在舞台上向所有人展示自己。”
在上海一家体育馆进行了激烈的锻炼之后，她会定期在TikTok上载向她200,000位追随者发帖。
Gui对于她那次的意外毫无回忆，她是在放学回家时，被一架卡车撞到的。
但是她不能忘记，作为一个只有左腿的残端的幼儿，学校的孩子会踢踢拐杖或摇晃椅子，故意玩弄和折磨她。
桂说，“他们称我为'三足猫'，”尽管事隔已经快三十年了，但每当提到这时她还是充满感触。
“大多数时都是这种侮辱性语言，有时甚至是身体虐待。
“他们第一次让我摔倒时我哭了，但后来我习惯了，我想：你可以随心所欲地欺负我，但我会很好的，因为我有颗勇敢的心。”
来自南方城市南宁的桂女士由母亲抚养长大，因为父亲在她出生之前就去世了。
2001年，她加入了残奥会，并代表中国参加了2004年奥运会，在她的跳远项目中排名第七。
她还参加了跳高和后来的射箭，并参加了2008年北京夏季运动会和残奥会的火炬传递。
在2017年退出竞争后，Gui在职场遭受了更多歧视，遭到雇主的拒绝，雇主称她与他们公司的“形象”不符。
她说：“（他们）暗示我会损害他们的形象。”
“我向近20家公司提出了申请，所有公司都说了同样的话。”
健美初次登台后，许多网上人赞扬她，她穿着传统的高领旗袍连衣裙，击败了更强的对手，但还是会有一些反对声音告诉她待在家里。
有时，街上的人们会问Gui右腿出了什么事，她大吃一惊-失去一条肢对她来说很正常，现在她不再去想它了。
桂的拐杖总是在附近，但她在日常生活中似乎很少遇到麻烦。
桂说：“许多人认为命运对我不公平，但我却不这么认为。
“我感谢有这些困难。
“我为什么这么说呢？因为这使我的心脏更加坚强，使我今天的状态变了， 我长大了。”
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