Age is Just a Number... Veterans Shine with the Taegeuk Mark

[Anchor]

At the Nagoya Asian Para Games, South Korean athletes showed remarkable fighting spirit, defying their age. Forty-nine-year-old Kang Seon-hee and Jeon Min-jae won silver medals, while 54-year-old Lee Do-yeon delivered a gold-winning race.

Reporter Pyeon Gwanghyeon has the details from the scene.

[Reporter]

Kang Seon-hee, a late-blooming national team athlete who took up boccia—a sport for severely disabled athletes—at the age of 40, displayed incredible focus at the current competition at age 49.

With precise throws, she successfully placed her blue balls right next to the white jack ball, becoming the sole South Korean athlete to reach the individual finals. She fought a fierce battle to the very end against a Thai opponent 23 years younger, young enough to be her daughter.

Although she missed out on the gold medal after a 4-2 defeat, Kang delivered a profound resonance to people with severe disabilities.

[Kang Seon-hee / Boccia National Team Athlete: I believe age is something that can be overcome. Once you start, a new path opens up, so having a challenging mindset is what matters most.]

The age-defying runs of our athletes continued across various sports boundaries.

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Lee Do-yeon, a 54-year-old ironwoman who crosses between the Winter and Summer Games as a Nordic skier in the winter and a handcyclist in the summer, pushed through rain and wind to achieve her fourth consecutive victory in the road time trial.

[Lee Do-yeon / Para Cycling National Team Athlete: I am so deeply moved and thrilled by myself.]

On the track, 49-year-old smiling angel Jeon Min-jae completed the 100-meter race in 14.7 seconds, adding a valuable silver medal.

(Video by Park Gi-deok)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.