‘TORCHBEARER’ KIM JIN-HYUK “PARA SPORTS, IT’S FOR FUN WHEN YOU KNOW”

Kim Jin-hyuk, 43, head of the Korean team at the Hangzhou Para Asian Games, had an “amazing and grateful experience” on Minxiang Road in the new downtown area of Hangzhou, China, on Nov. 21.Hangzhou residents lined both sides of the road, cheering and waving at Kim as he finished his torch relay. As he approached with a beaming face, some reached out to him. A funny scene ensued. As Kim handed over the torch, people began to hug it and capture it on their cell phone cameras. The torch remained in Kim’s hands for a while.” When they realized it was a Korean, they said, ‘Brother, brother. “It was a strange and grateful experience,” he said.” Unlike the previous torchbearers, Kim was appointed early in February .As a motivated young restaurateur, he traveled diligently to meet people. He often visited the training centers of various sports, encouraged them, and created a “head coach image” of a head coach who works with the athletes, not just pays sponsorship money .Kim’s own disability gave him a lot to relate to. As it turns out, Kim has a problem with his right leg. While delivering food for a Chinese restaurant, he was hit by a drunk driver and seriously injured. “I screamed at the sky, ‘Why is this happening to me? He was in the hospital for 10 months. He was in the hospital for 10 months and under the knife three times. In a broader sense, the accident was his introduction to Para sports. “First of all, I loved sports, and I was interested in the stories of athletes with disabilities. Each one of them had a story worthy of a book,” Kim said.

Kim, a former delivery driver, is the head of Bobae F&B, a Chinese restaurant franchise. He has made a deep and wide connection with people with disabilities and sports. In August, he traveled to the Icheon Athletes’ Village with company employees to run the Ilbo Bae Banjang store. They cooked food on site and served it to the athletes. They also sent food trucks to sports-related events such as the Wheelchair Basketball 3X3 tournament and the Sports Day for Students with Disabilities. Kim knows the power of sports. Growing up in his hometown of Yeosu, South Korea, where his parents died young, basketball changed his introverted personality.”With just a rubber basketball, I could make friends and get a sense of accomplishment from sweating,” he recalls. This is why wheelchair basketball is particularly appealing to him .The Korean wheelchair basketball team is aiming for a bronze medal at the Games. They made an upset in the group stage on Tuesday, beating Japan. “When I first met the athletes at Icheon Athletes’ Village, their faces were so bright. I thought, ‘This is the power of sports,’” he said, adding, “I was energized by the athletes who were enjoying their lives and living strongly. “The closer he got to Para sports, the more he realized that the more you know, the more fun you can have. A year ago, Kim didn’t know that South Korea was the world champion in boccia or that there was a sport called goalball.” There are many sports that are not accessible to people with disabilities,” he says. It’s a shame, because if you know the characteristics of the sport, you can get interested and have fun watching it. “The 2022 Hangzhou Para Asian Games will kick off on the 22nd. People who have already surpassed their limits will take the stage to deliver a message 토토사이트 of hope to people with and without disabilities.

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