Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Good morning, everyone. We are the representatives of class 3L. Acceptance and hope are some of the key elements that help us overcome difficulties in our lives. We would like to introduce a Chinese sportsman who, through demonstrating acceptance and hope, brought to our motherland, China, 1 Olympic silver and 2 Olympic Gold medals.
Acceptance is the virtue of embracing what we cannot change—and using it as fuel for growth. Zhang Jike exemplified this when he rose from an unremarkable practice partner in the Chinese national table tennis team to become the sport’s fourth male Grand Slam champion, winning the World Championship, World Cup, and Olympic gold in just 445 days. Earlier in his career, overshadowed by peers like Ma Long and limited to supporting roles, Zhang chose to accept his situation rather than resent it. He transformed his reality into relentless discipline, training longer and starting earlier than anyone else, and treating even routine sparring sessions with champions like Wang Hao as opportunities to learn.
What sustained Zhang through his earlier years was the belief that his effort would enable him to grasp any opportunity given to him. By accepting that his chance might not come quickly, he focused entirely on honing his skill and mental strength. That unwavering commitment eventually enabled him to seize his moment and secure his place among table tennis legends—proving that acceptance, when paired with perseverance, is not passive surrender, but the foundation of extraordinary achievement.
Zhang Jike’s story did not end after his Grand Slam success. After 2015, he suffered from injuries and was diagnosed with a hairline pelvic fracture. As he prepared for the Rio Olympics, his injuries were hindering him from flexible footwork.
Accepting that his injuries now placed him at a disadvantage, Zhang did not withdraw into frustration. Instead, he embraced a dual path of disciplined recovery and adapted training. He worked closely with medical teams, integrating rehabilitation into his daily routine, while mentally recalibrating his expectations. Though his explosive style was tempered by physical limits, he relied on tactical intelligence and refined technique to remain competitive. His journey through this period became a testament not to unbroken victory, but to resilience—the courage to compete not as the invincible champion he once was, but as a warrior adapting to the body he had left, striving for excellence within new constraints.
Fueled by his hope of participating in the Rio Olympics to bring glory to his country, Zhang JiKe participated actively in trials for determining the participants in the Rio Olympics. Despite his injuries, he still got elected to join the Olympics. During the semi-final of the men’s team match, Zhang JiKe fell when trying to retrieve a shot. He did not complain about this situation as he accepted the restrictions of his injury from the very beginning. What made him triumph was his hope of contributing to the team and our country through the resilience he has been showing throughout his whole career, as he played to his full potential regardless of his injuries.
Zhang teaches us with his own experience that acceptance is to accept the challenges we have to overcome and hope is what empowers us to achieve what we can. Now, let’s pray to God to ask him for his guidance.
3L