BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- "Life should be like Olympic Games that never ring down the curtain," said Ping Yali, China's first Paralympic champion on Thursday. 

    Ping won a gold medal in long jump competition in the 1984 New York Paralympics. Now, 20 years later, she has become the owner of a chain massage parlor stuffed mainly with the blind.

Torchbearer Ping Yali (R2), the first Chinese Paralympic gold medalist passes the flame to the last torchbearer Hou Bin, during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in the National Stadium in Beijing, China, Sept. 6, 2008.  (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    However, as a diabled person, a woman at that, her life is a long story full of tears, smiles, failures and successes.

    "I became a mother after I came down from the Paralympic podium with a gold," she recalled, "But, unfortunately, my son was born with eye disease."

    "At that time, I encouraged myself and thought life should be like Olympic Games that never ring down the curtain."

    "Say, life is just like a 4x100m relay," she told herself, "the first phase is to take a good care of my son; the second to start my business; the third to expand my business."

    Starting from 2007, Ping has turned her parlor into a chain of successful business though there were ineviatably all sorts of difficulties. And, more than that, after many years of motherly love and patience, her son has now become her pride -- a college student in Beijing!

    Ping was born partly blind. Her mother was infected with measles and died of cancer when Ping was only eight years old.

Led by a guide dog, torchbearer Ping Yali, the first Chinese Paralympic gold medalist, relays during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in the National Stadium in Beijing, China, Sept. 6, 2008.   (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    "When my monther was on here death bed, she couldn't help thinking that her daughter would live a dark life. She had her last breath with her eyes open!" Ping remembered. 

    Fortunately, her high talent for sports was discovered whe she was at a school for the blind children, and thus she began her athletic career.

    Ping said with confidence that she will continue her 'Olympic life,' and open more massage parlors after the Beijing Paralympic Games.

    "In this way, I could look after job placement for more disabled, particularly blind people, and give ease to more mothers," said Ping.

    Expressing her expectations of the young athletes, Ping said they should plan better their training, competition, living and study, "so that everyone of you could be 'ever-lasting Olympic champions.'"