Among the new entrants to Central Sports School in January 2014 was Ri Suk, a girl in her teens who developed a passion for weightlifting.
She dreamed of flying the national flag of the DPRK at international competitions.
Her instructor valued her dream, and made exacting demand on her.
Ri Suk exerted herself tirelessly in training.
However, it was too much for her to perform weightlifting routines almost every day.
Finally, she collapsed under the burden of intensive training.
That evening her instructor came to see her at the hostel.
“I know it will be a challenge to a young girl to lift weights every day,” she told Ri. “But you have a dream. If you give up here, you will not be able to fly the national flag at international competitions forever.”
Her remarks were not long but they were enough to move her.
That night, Ri Suk wrote in her diary:
“What made me take up weightlifting? Remember, Ri Suk. Redouble efforts.”
In addition to daily routines, she trained more till she attained her own target.
Just two years after practising weightlifting, she began to prove herself at domestic competitions. She renewed a national juvenile record at a national sports schools’ tournament.
She went on to excel herself in her international debut by garnering six gold medals in snatch, jerk and total of the juvenile and junior 53kg categories at the Asian Juvenile and Junior Weightlifting Championships in 2018.
Not resting on her laurels, she set a higher goal and worked harder.
Her efforts paid off.
Ri won three gold medals in the women’s 64kg category at the 2023 IWF Grand Prix by lifting 114kg in snatch, a new world record of 146kg in jerk and 260kg in total.
Besides, she snatched three gold medals in the same category at the Asian Weightlifting Championships last year, demonstrating her prowess and realizing her dream.
Pak Jong Hyok
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