Chinese athlete Wang Meng won the first-ever gold medal in Paralympics for China during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games in South Korea, together with her teammates.

Wang played the first base in the Chinese wheelchair curling team. All others on her team were male, which also makes her the first Chinese female to win Winter Paralympics gold.

Born in 1988, Wang contracted polio when she was one year old, which caused paralysis in both her legs. Unfortunate as it was, it did not stop her from pursuing an Olympic gold. 

Wang's life in sports began in 2006 when she joined the Beijing wheelchair table tennis team. The training was tough – three two-hour sessions on a training day. She practiced for eight years, but did not achieve much accolade.

2015 witnessed the founding of Beijing wheelchair curling team, as well as the second chapter of Wang's athletic pursuit.

When she first joined the team, she had to train hard to increase arm strength. She knew very little about the tactics of this new game, so she spent much time watching match videos. Her unremitting efforts finally led her to the starting lineup in 2016 and the national championship with her teammates in 2017.

During the year-long preparation leading up to the 2018 Winter Paralympics, Wang would always arrive half an hour earlier than others at the venue to do some extra training. 

It took her less than three years to grow from a rookie in curling to a Paralympics champion. 

When speaking with Tencent Sport, she said her biggest wish after moving to Beijing was to visit Tsinghua University, as she was a good student before choosing to become an athlete. 

"I might someday attend that school," she said. 

(With input from Xinhua News Agency)