Vietnamese powerlifter Dang Thi Linh Phuong is aiming for a gold medal on home soil at the Para Games to be held in Vietnam later this year. Vietnamese powerlifter Dang Thi Linh Phuong (left) hopes she will take gold medal at the Para Games to be held in Vietnam later this year. Photo thanhnien.vn Like all athletes, Phuong experienced a very difficult year in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the Para Games in the Philippines to be postponed twice before being cancelled. “For the past two years, I was focusing strongly on the Para Games 2019. But then the event had to stop. So my plan was also incomplete. I was very sad,” said Phuong. “Earlier, I quit my work as a nail technician to focus on weightlifting. I couldn’t spend all my time in the nail salon. I decided that weightlifting was my main job to earn a living until I couldn’t continue to compete any more. “When the pandemic came, tournaments abroad were postponed and I couldn’t compete in any tournaments for a whole year. I was really looking forward to competing. Therefore, I am more determined and wait for the Para Games 2021 to partake in Vietnam as expected,” said Phuong. As events were postponed, Phuong had to find another job to maintain her passion for weightlifting. “I work part-time, such as selling toothpicks. Although I couldn't earn much, it was enough to help me overcome difficulties in the past year,” said Phuong. Phuong still maintains a scientific diet, nutrition and lifestyle to allow her to achieve peak performance. “I spend about one hour per day to train with the highest focus. I also maintain the diet of a powerlifter. In the context of the pandemic, training can help us stay healthy,” said Phuong. Having been involved in weightlifting for about 10 years, Phuong has recorded many remarkable achievements. In the 2018 Asian Para Games, Phuong bagged a gold medal in her favourite category of the 50kg weight class with a lift of 103kg, far above the lift of …
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