On May 11, the “Chinese Sports Spirit Lecture Hall” campus promotion event and the “Champions’ Physical Education Class” athlete campus visit took place at Huazhong Normal University Suzhou Bay Experimental Primary School, a school known for its climbing specialty in Suzhou. National Climbing Team speed group head coach Zhong Qixin, along with athletes Zhao Yicheng, Li Meini, and Hu Junzhe, attended the event to engage with students face-to-face, sharing their stories of striving and breakthroughs behind their achievements.
In the lecture hall, Li Meini recounted her journey starting climbing at age six and turning professional at seven. “As long as you bravely take the first step, even seemingly unreachable heights can gradually draw closer,” she told the students, emphasizing that persistence and self-discipline are the best weapons to overcome difficulties.
Hu Junzhe shared his understanding of climbing and personal growth. He admitted he was initially drawn to the sensation of “breaking free from gravity,” but it was only after embracing a professional career that he realized the immense effort behind training. He encouraged the students that the most beautiful form of youth is to give full effort to one’s passion, and that the significance of hard work lies not necessarily in standing atop the world, but in the continuous process of moving “upward.”
Zhao Yicheng, who recently won the 2026 IFSC Climbing World Cup (Wujiang) and set a world record, openly reflected that seeing the students reminded him of his own school days. He offered three pieces of growth advice: dare to try, do not fear failure, and recognize that learning is everywhere—not only from textbooks but also from people and experiences around you.
During the interactive Q&A session, students enthusiastically asked how to help athletes calm their nerves during competitions, sparking discussions on mental resilience and focus.
