Wu Yurong, a visually impaired judoka from the Miao village in Fenghuang, Hunan, secured a gold medal at the 12th Hunan Provincial Games for the Disabled on September 27. Representing the Changsha delegation, Wu’s victory continues a streak of high-level performances that includes titles at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Para Games and the 2025 National Games for Persons with Disabilities.
From Fenghuang to the Podium
Born in June 1993, Wu’s athletic journey began after he lost his sight to untreated congenital glaucoma at age five. After learning blind massage in his youth, he was identified by the Fenghuang County Disabled Persons’ Federation at age 15 and recommended to the Hunan Provincial Special Education School to begin training in judo. His career, now spanning 17 years, has been defined by a commitment to rigorous physical and mental discipline.
Wu’s transition to the professional provincial team was not immediate. Upon joining the team in 2009, he struggled with the technical demands of the sport. “Because I didn’t have much natural talent and my reaction time was a bit slow, my parents had to call and message the coach to ask for a chance,” Wu recalled. He eventually earned his place through a grueling regimen, often starting his physical training at 5:00 a.m. even during the winter months.
Building a Decorated Career
Wu’s dedication yielded results quickly. He placed fifth at the National Championships in 2010, just over a month after beginning his specialized training. His 2023 season marked a peak in his competitive career, highlighted by his gold medal in the men’s J1-90kg category at the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou. That same year, he earned a third-place finish at the IBSA World Games in the United Kingdom and a seventh-place finish at the World Blind Judo Grand Prix in Azerbaijan.
The path to these victories involved significant physical challenges. Following his gold medal win at the 2025 National Games, Wu revealed that he had been managing severe bone spurs in his feet during the first half of the year. The injury was so debilitating that he struggled with basic mobility for a month during his recovery. Despite the setback, he returned to competition, attributing his resilience to the support of his medical team, coaches, and family.
The Philosophy of Persistence
For Wu, the sport of judo serves as a tool for mental and physical transformation. He emphasizes that the value of the Paralympic spirit extends beyond the accumulation of medals, focusing instead on the persistence required to overcome repeated failures. “Champions are grown from failures,” Wu said. Reflecting on his journey from a rural Miao village to provincial and national stages, he maintains that his success is a product of the care and resources provided by the state, which have enabled him to pursue his athletic goals.
The gold medal at the 12th Hunan Provincial Games serves as the latest milestone in a career that began nearly two decades ago. As he continues to compete, Wu remains focused on the training standards that have allowed him to overcome his lack of light perception and compete at the highest levels of international blind judo.
