Recently in Hangzhou, a female bank employee requested time off from work to participate in the public marathon at the Paris Olympics. Her supervisor initially thought she was just making an excuse to go to Paris for leisure, until the employee presented her Olympic qualification, proving that she was telling the truth. Not only her supervisor but also her colleagues at the bank were shocked by this news.
Born in the 1990s, Xu Yiming from Hangzhou is a bank client manager and a seasoned amateur marathon enthusiast. When she requested leave to go to Paris for the Olympics, her supervisor still believed she was just making an excuse for a leisure trip. However, when Xu Yiming showed the official email confirming her qualification for the competition, the entire office was buzzing with excitement. The supervisor quickly approved her leave.
According to Zhejiang News, this year’s Olympics introduced a special event for the public marathon, scheduled to take place on the same evening after the men’s marathon competition ends. This new event attracted over 800,000 people worldwide who signed up, with only about 40,000 participants selected through a lottery system, and Xu Yiming was one of them.
The Paris Olympic Committee stipulated that in order to qualify for the lottery, participants must exchange sports mileage for points. To meet the competition standard, Xu Yiming has been maintaining a running distance of 3000 kilometers annually since the summer of 2021. Over the course of two years, she accumulated 100,000 points, equivalent to running 5000 kilometers, and finally received an email from the Paris Olympic Committee confirming her qualification.
The news of the Hangzhou girl earning the opportunity to compete in the Olympic games has sparked discussions on mainland Chinese internet. Many netizens have expressed admiration, saying, “Running 2500 kilometers a year, over 200 kilometers per month, that’s quite a high running volume.” “I admire people like her who have dreams, I learn from you.” “Thumbs up for your spirit.” “This is the true meaning of the Olympics, as long as you work hard enough, ordinary people can also participate.”