The cover of Xue Mei, a young woman, is inseparable from water: from synchronized swimming champion to the first female rower in the Yangtze River.

In mid-August, in a large outdoor swimming pool in Suining, Xue Mei did a yoga dog-like action on the paddle, then she jumped rope on the paddle, even played a swimming and throwing action on the paddle, and then fell into the water ... When she fell into the water, Xue Mei felt a long-lost familiarity. This is the water that has lived together for nearly 20 years, and it is also the water world that can't be separated for life.

Once, Xue Mei was a member of Sichuan Flower Tour Team, a traditional strong team in China. She was thrown out of the water to feel the "top" flying. After retiring, by chance, she fell in love with rowing and became the first female rower in the world to row the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River.

When I was 9 years old, I had an indissoluble bond with water.

Xue Mei threw and jumped in the competition.

Xue Mei, who looks sweet and has good flexibility, has been practicing rhythmic gymnastics since childhood. At the age of 9, by chance, she was attracted by the coach of the sports school and began to practice flower swimming. "At that time, the coach should think that on the one hand, I was flexible, on the other hand, I already knew some technical moves, so I was always the' top' in the flower tour (responsible for throwing and jumping)."

At that time, Xue Mei never thought that he would be "entangled" with water.

Xue Mei acted as a "top" when practicing flower swimming.

As a "top player" all the time, what I am most afraid of is, of course, the mistake of jumping in the game. "I was very nervous before every game since I was a child, and I was worried that the lift would not be done well. When I grow up, I will still be a little nervous, but I totally trust my teammates. As long as you cooperate well and play your usual training level, you will basically not make mistakes. "

Xue Mei remembers that when she went to Russia on 20 10, because the depth of the competition pool was different from that in peacetime, she and her teammates kept making mistakes. "At that time, they cried before they came to power, and then the team leader comforted me first, and then analyzed it carefully together. The final result of the competition is that we successfully lifted it. " Recalling the dribs and drabs when practicing flower swimming, Xue Mei said that he still couldn't bear to let go of this project and the days when he trained and competed with his teammates in those years. "We won the national championship, and the previous training has been very hard. The longest time in the swimming pool every day is 1 1 hour. We started training early in the morning and had lunch by the swimming pool. After lunch, we laid a yoga mat by the pool to have a rest, and then practiced until the evening. The coach and the team doctor have been with us. So I think what this project brings me is that if I am not an athlete and don't touch synchronized swimming, I may never experience it. "

From swimming pool to outdoor, I fell in love with paddles.

Xue Mei retired as the coach of the Flower Tour.

Xue Mei is having a sizing class.

It may be the foundation of synchronized swimming. Coupled with her natural familiarity with water, Xue Mei quickly mastered the paddling skills. She trained in the swimming pool since she was a child and felt the fun of this outdoor sport. "I think synchronized swimming has brought me more sense of responsibility, such as being responsible for my teammates and my companions, but the medal board has brought more happiness to many friends. I admire those who envy the free and easy playing outdoors. "

Six hours of rowing the Yangtze River wind has reached the point where I want to give up.

20 19 On New Year's Day, Xue Mei did something crazy-boating in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. "I was the only girl at that time. In fact, it was already very cold in June+10 in 5438. I wore thick clothes, but I still felt cold. I also wore wading shoes, but it was cold because I was wet. " Coupled with the special winter landforms of the Three Gorges, wind is the biggest headache in Xue Mei. "The wind in the Three Gorges is relatively strong, which is a great challenge for me. I once wanted to give up halfway. I said to my teammates,' Can you find a boat to let me go back? Then he said there was no boat. "In this way, Xue Mei crustily skin of head rowed for five or six hours, insisting on rowed 2 1 km. "Many people think that it may seem crazy for a girl to row the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, but I think it is quite unforgettable to stick to the end." My hands are blistered and my feet are white. Xue Mei said that compared with the training and injuries I experienced as an athlete, these are not particularly difficult.

Later, Xue Mei tried to row a half horse several times, for example, in Hangzhou Wetland Park, but she still remembers rowing across the Three Gorges.

Xue Mei is completing paddling yoga.

In Xue Mei's mind, the holy land she wants to go to most is Tibet. "Every time I look at the waters over there, I have the urge to fly over. I wanted to go boating in Tibet after contacting the medal bureau on 17, but this wish has not been realized so far. " Now, Xue Mei has been certified as an American ACA certified paddle instructor, a global open water paddle yoga instructor and a paddle yoga instructor in the Water Sports Management Center of the State Sports General Administration, and has become a paddle sports practitioner. When it comes to the development of rowing in Chengdu, Xue Mei thinks that the development of Chengdu is still good. "I think the threshold of this sport is much lower than that of flower swimming. If you go swimming outdoors, fans who can't swim can also play because they will wear life jackets, and then their feet will be connected to the paddles. "

Xue Mei said that the process and life of the paddle falling into the water is very: "Sometimes when you encounter difficulties, you will fall into the water, but you will slowly climb onto the paddle and start over. I think this process is quite meaningful. " And her view of the new youth is, "sunshine may be a label that our age group should have." At the same time, new youth need innovation. In fact, we should contact and absorb more new things, and then make more new things through some of our own ideas. "