Chi Cheng is quite a famous person in the sporting field.  In the 1970s she attracted much attention, and was a popular athlete in sports, especially because she was an outstanding woman. Thus, we decided to interview her, and to analyze her success factors.

  Interview time: in January 6, 2012 15:00

The pride of Taiwan in the 1970s, Chi Cheng was born in 1944 in Hsinchu County, Kansai Township.  From the ancestral home of Quanzhou, Fujian Province, she was the second daughter of three children.  Her father was a vendor, and her mother washed laundry for others. In the countryside, children played together under the sun.  And the place they played at was the rice field after the harvest, much different than the children that lived in the city. Although her family was poor, Chi Cheng has never complained.  The bumpy experience made her character stronger, more hard working. Chi Cheng, since childhood, aspires to become a writer, and was outstanding in academic performance during childhood. Although Chi Cheng’s family was poor, her life was simple and happy.  Her personality was more neutral and felt that boys and girls were the same.  Her interpersonal relationship was good, and she got along with both boys and girls.

Because she had excellent results in the Track and Field at the age of 14 that she eventually took to the road of a track and field athlete. She loved to run and jump since childhood, and showed excellent track and field talent in middle school. Chi Cheng said that the main reason she took the athletic road is because children in the countryside had large amount of exercise, her Aboriginal descent, as well as talent. These great basic conditions are some of the reason Chi Cheng became such an outstanding athlete.

The most respected, most grateful person for her would be her father.  At home, the authority lies with her father and the housework lies with the mother.  Her father was strict in discipline, and because neither of her parents had schooling and the family was poor, they realized the importance of studying. But in addition to studying, her father also cared about sports, because only with a certain amount of exercise can studying is done well.  If the studying was done well, and it does not interfere with school work, her father did not oppose them in participate in any activities.  This is a well rounded education.  This parenting style allowed all the children in Chi Cheng’s family to have satisfactory homework. The second important person in Chi Cheng’s life was the younger brother of the chairman of Shin Kong Group ─ Jin Wu.  He was the father of a classmate, and when he found that I cannot pay tuition, he kindly paid for her tuition. She modestly said, if it was not for Mr. Wu, Chi Cheng would not be where she is now.

. Chi Cheng graduated in the top three in middle school, and could of went straight to Normal School. But since then most of the games were in Taipei, and going to private school cost almost no money, Chi Cheng chose a private school in Taipei because of her great interest in sports.

In 1966, Chi Cheng won the women's long jump gold medal in the Asian Games in Bangkok.  In July 12, 1970, she won the women's sprint gold medal in the sixth Asian Games in Bangkok, becoming fastest female athlete in Asia. At that time the Associated Press called Chi Cheng “the fastest woman on Earth”, and the Taiwanese people give her the title of “the flying antelope of the East.”  Other nations called her “the Asian meteor”, “the iron lady of track and field,” etc.  In the same year, Chi Cheng broke five world records, so the global sports community unanimously recognized 1970 as Chi Cheng’s year

However, fate is not always kind.  At the peak of Chi Cheng’s track and field career, she severely sprained her leg in a 400-meter race, forcing her to retire from competition at the height of her sports career, leaving behind her beloved sports arena. Chi Cheng really dislikes sports injuries. Although it is inevitable, it is still a nightmare for athletes, even forcing her to quit sports. At the time, when Chi Cheng left the sports arena, she was depressed and didn’t even want to watch sports programs. However, in a church in America she was asked a question, "have you never thought that it was God who wanted you to get hurt?”  It is because of this sad but memorable experience that gave Chi Cheng a more compassionate and empathetic heart, so when she encountered similarly injured athletes, she has a better understanding of their state of mind.

U.S. female athletes are even more discriminated against than in Taiwan, but I have never felt the experience of race and gender discrimination on this road. She feels that the most important thing is their own attitude and personality.  She did not have any gender stereotypes, and did not feel she is a woman who needs to be protected by others.  Her interests were very broad, and got along well with both boys and girls, and insisted bravely to be herself.  On the sporting field both black and white cheers for Chi Cheng. The main reason is that she was very polite, say hello to the audience, and is always smiling.

In 1989 Chi Cheng became the National Athletics chairman, guiding the development of national track and field. Not only creating greater benefits for the athletes, Chi Cheng also introduced many concepts, including inviting top world athletes to Taiwan, focus on marketing, strengthen the cultivation of coaches, but also enable the athletes to create more success.  Her friends said that, "as long as it has to do with sports, Chi Cheng will not refuse." Chi Cheng originally was not a politician, and was not much interest in politics, but due to social situation and needs, related parties asked her to stand for election as legislators. She felt in a democratic "Congress", not all members must be a political expert, but should have people with experience in different backgrounds to supervise the "government" and contribution opinions. Moreover, Taiwan should establish a system so that these athletes that compete for the glory of the country and the coaches to have security in their future and life.  Thus, with this enthusiasm, she joined the election for members of the legislature, and won overwhelmingly.
Regarding gender equality, Chi Cheng is glad to see that Taiwan has made a lot of progress.  There are many women legislators, and even women in the presidential election. Chi Cheng now is the chairman of the Hope Foundation.  Since retiring from track and field for over 30 years, she really has put sports into daily life.  Not only is she enjoying the fun, but also encourage more people to personally experience the benefits of exercise.

At the end of the interview, Chi Cheng told us, whatever you do, (interest, work), you must ask yourselves: "Do I really love it?" An important element in success is that you work.  "The success of a person requires twenty percent talent and eighty percent hard work and sweat” and passion.  It is because you like it that you can be frustrated and be willing to pay. Whatever you do, whatever job you choose, you must real love it, rather than being forced.  Because you love it, so you are willing to pay.  Because of love, we ask of ourselves and strive for perfection.
After the interview, we believe that Chi Cheng teacher is an optimistic, cheerful, positive woman who bravely built dreams, hard working, ambitious, and responsible.  This is what we think of the teacher. And her strength, self-confidence, perseverance, and ambition together with her hard working attitude, makes her what she is today.  Teacher said that simplicity and pureness is the common point of children that grew up in the countryside.

We can see this point in our teacher.  Other than filial piety, gentleness, knowing how to self-reflection, full of gratitude, humility, patriotic, have affinity, brave, generous, helpful, etc. advantages, these all became the teacher’s special characteristic.  In particular, we think that knowing how to cherish is the most precious and rare characteristic after so many years of experience.  Of course, the need to win is also the source of her working continuously in track and field