March 2022.
When he woke up, his body wasn’t the same.
His left leg felt empty.
He called his father and cried without words.
He felt sorry for his parents.
He had started working as a courier with his cousin for financial reasons after his military service.
He had plans to return to canoeing, but the accident shattered them.
Choi Yong-beom (27, Chungnam Paralympic Committee) cried and cried in a corner alone at night.
He has loved water since he was a child.
Baekma River and Bansan Reservoir were nearby.
He played soccer and wrestling, but he started canoeing because he liked the water.
He picked up a paddle in the first grade. She paddled really hard because she “didn’t want to lose.”
She was called the next Cho Kwang-hee.
Cho Kwang-hee is the first Korean canoeist to win back-to-back Asian Games titles (Incheon 2014 and Palembang 2018 in Jakarta).
He is also two years older than Buhago.
After high school, he was briefly part of the Buyeo County government before moving to the Ulsan Metropolitan City government.
He tried out for the national team, but missed the Taeguk mark by a narrow margin (4th place).
He was unable to perform due to back pain and enlisted in the army in November 2018.
He was discharged from the army in July 2020 and was making money and building his body when he had a bad accident.
During his rehabilitation, coach Joo Jong-kwan, who was a gifted canoeist, and manager Meng Chan-joo of the Korea Paralympic Committee recommended para-canoeing.
At first, he was scared to meet unfamiliar people in an unfamiliar form.
However, canoeing was the thing he was best at and enjoyed the most in his life.
His mother also encouraged him. She hoped that on the water, her son would feel rejuvenated.
Para-canoeing was first recognized as a sport at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, and the Korean Paralympic Committee began developing para-canoe athletes in 2017.
He picked up his paddle again. Para canoeing is both the same and different from able-bodied canoeing.
His prosthetic left leg was heavier, making it harder to balance.
This was despite having been kayaking for nearly 10 years. “
At first, I fell into the water because it was difficult to balance the boat,” Choi said, adding, “I actually panicked myself.
I wondered if I could swim (with a prosthetic leg), but I could.”
“When kids first learn to canoe, I tell them they need to fall in the water 10,000 times a year,” said Choi’s coach, Joo Jong-kwan, who is reteaching him as a Para-athlete coach.
It takes three months to learn to balance on the water.”
His first opponent in the Para-canoe 200-meter sprint race was Buh Joo-joong.
At first, he lost.
He was a junior high school student, a former member of the unemployment team, and his pride was hurt.
The competitive spirit that seemed to have flown away with the accident came back.
He kept improving his time.
His first time was in the 50s, then 47 seconds, then 46 seconds.
