On a torrid afternoon with the running track and its burnt smell and a figure riding a battered old bike to pace him for 50 laps, memories of training often pop up in his mind. Racing with the wind, he knows his goal.

He looks tan. Wearing a simple black T-shirt and a pair of black running shoes, the only color on his whole body is an emerald bracelet. He is medium height and lean due to extensive exercise. It’s difficult for me to see him as a national champion because of his calm and restrained temperament until he slowly describes his pursuit of running.

The Origin

Xi Zeng was born in an athletic family. His father and aunt were both sprinters. Influenced by this kind of family atmosphere, he showed his unusual athletic talent among his peers. "At a young age, my friends couldn’t catch up with me when I played with them." Xi Zeng said with a smile. Probably in the hope that her son would avoid the injuries that come with intense physical training, Xi Zeng’s mother always hoped that he would study hard and not follow the path of sports. But Xi Zeng didn’t agree with his mother's view and used his achievements to demonstrate his talent. In junior high school, he easily won the championship at the school sports meet and represented the school in the Dongli District competition. At that time, he had never received formal training, but he won the 800-meter championship in the competition. Then he participated in a youth competition in Tianjin and broke the junior high school record while winning two championships. With these wins Xi Zeng proved his unlimited potential to his parents and gained his aunt’s support in convincing his parents to allow him to train. "

At that time, Xi Zeng set a goal to become a national first-class athlete, to win a national championship, and to enter Tianjin University. He kept pressing forward despite the difficulties and hardships. In high school, he gave up the opportunity to attend a key high school in Dongli District and came to Nankai District to study in a basement in order to get closer to the training base. Professional training is rigid and boring, however, he thrived on it. The faster his athletic level improved, the tougher and more patient he became. "To win the championship, the first step is to defeat yourself," he said.

Dream Comes True

Opportunity awaits those who are prepared. In the third year of high school, he finally had his first national competition. The competitors were strong and they were almost at the same level. "The high intensity of five-day competitions with awful weather placed me under a lot of pressure," Xi Zeng recalled. In the previous 1500-meter race, he ranked second in the preliminary and ranked third in the finals which reached the standard of being a national first-class athlete, giving him confidence for the 800 meter race. In the 800-meter final, Xi Zeng perfectly implemented the tactics prepared before the meet, lagging in the early stage, and putting forth maximum effort in the final stage. He escaped the encirclement of three Zhejiang players and took the lead and crossed the finish line to win his first national championship. In the end, Xi Zeng, a national first-class athlete and national champion, was successfully admitted to TJU.

Strong Sweat, Weak Tears

As the captain of the TJU Track and Field Team from 2015-2018, Xi Zeng is the "iron man" in the hearts of his teammates. Whether it is winter or hot summer, Xi Zeng appears at the training area on time. In the summer, Xi Zeng insisted on training at five in the morning. Despite of the severe smog and the biting wind in winter, Xi Zeng set the example by his own actions leading the team members to complete their daily training routine outdoors. He has always used his coach's words as his life’s creed: the strong sweat, the weak shed tears. For this reason, he always confronts doubts with his usual courage and responds with more intense training and better results.

At the same time, Xi Zeng also set an example by his own actions to inspire the younger athletes on the team. At the 17th National College Athletics Championships in 2017, he led the TJU Track and Field Team to the final competition of the 4×400-meter. It was the first time the TJU Track and Field Team had entered the final of the team competition. Xi Zeng participated in the group race although there was less than a two hour break after he had finished the 1500-meter race. He overcame physical discomfort and struggled with his teammates to the finish. Although they missed the championship, in the end, everyone on the team had tears in their eyes. "At the beginning, my predecessor taught me a lot. Now I want to teach my experience to younger athletes." In Xi Zeng's view, helping the younger generation grow is a responsibility and a legacy.

How to Choose

There are no permanent victories in sports, and the cruel competition taught Xi Zeng to choose wisely. "The schedule of The National College Athletics Championships are tight and the tasks daunting. If I were to participate in every project, it would be very difficult. Xi Zeng focused his efforts on the 1500 meter and 800 meter events. This focus propelled him to victory. Talking about the gap between himself and professional athletes, Xi Zeng said modestly, "I competed with them with the attitude of gaining experience. If I lose, I will gain something. It is also very glorious to lose." He went on to say, "When I participated in the national competition for the third time, my opponent was the domestic 800m indoor record holder. But I ran faster in the preliminaries!" he said delightedly.

One-day Teacher, Life-long Father

After ten years of running, Xi Zeng also confronted many ups and downs. In high school, he had been unable to run for nearly a month due to an injury to the sit bones (ischial tuberosity). It was almost impossible to pass TJU's test for students with special talents in sports. “I was very scared at the beginning, and I was very frustrated. If I didn’t pass the test, what I had done in the past few years would be in vain,” he recalls. In the most difficult time of that period, Xi Zeng’s current university coach Liu Jiang supported and encouraged him. "He fully believed in my strength and repeatedly encouraged me not to give up before the test," Xi Zeng said with tears in his eyes. Talking about coach Liu, Xi Zeng described him as "like a father." In his heart, coach Liu cared for him in every possible way. Coach Liu would even help him pack up his luggage for an event. As an old saying goes, “one-day teacher, life-long father.” He trained intensely to pay back his coach and his alma mater, TJU.

How to balance learning and training was a problem. During his undergraduate studies, the pressure of the coursework was relatively small. At the postgraduate level, however, the difficulty of the courses increased, which was a major challenge for Xi Zeng. "I am especially grateful to my mentor, Bai Yanzhuang. Without his careful guidance, I couldn’t have reached my goal." For the future, Xi Zeng has a clear plan. “After graduating, I still want to work in the sports industry and provide more professional sports training guidance for more people. It is difficult for me to give up this life.”

Passion

There are only two things in Xi Zeng's Wechat Moment: learning and running. To this day, he will occasionally run for ten kilometers to revel in the moment. In his opinion, only on the track, can he be unrestrained and free-spirited. "In my spare time, I like to watch my own videos of the competition, appreciate my trophy and medals. There is always a feeling that I was in yesterday’s world." How many decades can life be? Ten years’ running was all he dreamed of as a young boy.

The experience of success and failure of the past ten years has not changed his heart. The enthusiasm is the same as that young boy.

By Lian Peipei

Editors: Eva Yin & Doris Harrington