She has not only tackled the stigma and frustrations of having hearing impairment since young, but has also literally fought her way to the top.
Meet Zhao Hui, who became Singapore’s Number 1 fencer at the tender age of 15, despite being born with the condition.
The inspiring tale of the woman, now in her adult years, was told in a short video uploaded on We Are Majulah Facebook page, which is a movement that aims to foster a stronger sense of national identity and harmony through mutual understanding and compassion.
In the clip, Zhao talks spiritedly about the frustrations she faces in everyday situations, as well as those in the sporting arena.
Even with a hearing aid, talking over the phone is like “trying to read a book without glasses when you’re short-sighted”, she surmised.
On the obstacles encountered in fencing, she highlighted the protective mask that often constricted her view and the occasions when some referees forgot to use hand language and relied only on their voices instead.
But Zhao was determined to focus on her cut and thrust, and emerged victorious in the end.
After the matches, her opponents were surprised to find that she is hearing impaired and communicates by lip reading. They were impressed with her fencing accomplishment – so are we.
We Are Majulah has collaborated with ConnexionSG to feature people such as Zhao, who are commonly misunderstood in society. The video is the second of a six-parter called ‘The Misunderstood Series’.
Produced by Storyteller Productions, the video was also uploaded on YouTube.
A tribute to Zhao can be seen in We Are Majulah’s post on its Facebook page: Disabilities may slow you down, but they cannot defeat you, not with a heart like Zhao Hui’s.
chenj@sph.com.sg
