The inspiring story of Tanya Zheng, the 58-year-old Chinese woman who went from selling furniture in northern Chile to seeking an Olympic medal for that country.

Zhiying Zeng – better known as Tania Zeng – turned 58 just days before competing at the Paris Olympics.

A professional table tennis player of Chinese origin, she is looking for a medal for Chile, where she has lived for more than 35 years.

His career was as meteoric as his popularity.

Everyone in Chile knows her, cheers for her and affectionately calls her “Aunt Tania” even though she has only been competing for the country’s name for 4 years.

Before that, his life was radically different: He was committed to selling furniture in Iquique.a city in northern Chile.

Now at the Paris Olympics You will be one of the oldest athletes. But it doesn’t seem to matter to him.

“In my heart, I always say: No, don’t think about your age.” If I get this far, I have to fight like everyone else.

With her strong Chinese accent mixed with Spanish, the athlete told her story to BBC Mundo.

I was born in central China, in a city called Zhengzhouin 1966.

My father was an industrial engineer. My mother, table tennis coach From choosing the county we lived in.

I grew up in a house in a coaching village.

When I was 9 years old, my father decided that I should play table tennis, just like my mother.

And so I started training.

At the age of 12 she was already playing professionally. But after a decade, I decided to retire from coaching and started studying.

At that very moment I received an invitation from northern Chile, from a Chinese coach who was there and worked with the table tennis team.

He wrote to me and told me so. Chile was quiet, had a beach and sea, Very beautiful scenery and friendly people.

It wasn’t an easy decision. The language was difficult for me and it was too far away. My father was worried too.

But I left anyway.

New life in Chile

I arrived in Chile, specifically to the city of Erica1989.

When I got off the plane, I couldn’t believe it. It was pure desert, no grass or trees. “What is this?” I thought.

The first thing that shocked me was that the Chileans greeted me to my face. For me it was very strange and made me stiff.

I entered the table tennis club in Arica, where I felt very well received. He taught the children with signs and laughter because he did not understand anything.

I had a lot of free time, so I started studying Spanish and meeting people, many of them Chinese.

They explained to me what Arica was like and told me that trade was very good on the border with Peru.

There were no merchants in my family; I didn’t know anything. But I decided to do business.

I founded a furniture company.

In the middle, I met my husband, who is Chilean, by pure chance. We were both clients of the same bank, and we started looking at each other and became addicted.

We had two children who are now 33 and 24.

After living for 10 years in Arica, We decided to move 300 kilometers south to the city of Iquique.

During all those years, I completely forgot about table tennis.

I didn’t have time. I had young children and my job was very demanding.

So I left her. I thought it would be forever.

play again

But with the COVID-19 pandemic, my life has changed.

All the businesses were closed, people couldn’t go out and I had nothing to do.

There was a table tennis table in my house that we didn’t use. I looked at it, dusted it off and thought: This is the opportunity.

So I started playing again.

I played for an hour and a half every day. And I started to love it.

I realized that I was in good shape, that I was in good shape. And he was able to run.

In mid-2020, I started playing for Iquique.

And in 2021, the championships entered.

Even if I played with the men or the youth, I won. So much so that we came in first place in the national league.

It gave me a lot of confidence because I was playing with the best in the country. I thought: “Now I will go back to my youth and train for high performance. I will play as best I can.

Little by little, I was qualifying for different competitions. In South America, first, then in the Pan American.

In 2023, I will quit all my jobs. I have no interest in anything except table tennis.

A dream come true

I always dreamed of going to the Olympics.

When I qualified, I was so excited.

I remembered my parents, who wanted me to become a table tennis player.

Especially from my mother, from the years she trained me. She wanted me to go away. Unfortunately, she never got to see me because he passed away in 1997.

But I feel like it helps me along the way. I feel that with me all the time.

For me, I train at 58 years old, at the pace of youth, It wasn’t easy.

At some point I thought it might be a hindrance. But deep down, I always say to myself, ‘No, don’t think about your age.’ If I get this far, I have to fight like everyone else.

So when I get to the court I forget about myself, my age, or any pain I’m feeling. Because I’m one of those people who believe that if you have a dream, you can always achieve it.

What I like about table tennis is that it is a very complete game, using intelligence, fitness and agility.

Your body and mind have to be attentive to the table. It is very entertaining. There are many types of games. You have to know how to read your opponent well and keep calm.

“I feel 100% Chilean”

My first goal in the Olympics is to enjoy myself. And of course to win.

I will fight in the first round. I will continue fighting in the second and hope for more. But if I succeed in two rounds, I will be very happy too.

Of course I would like to give a medal to Chile.

I feel 100% Chilean.

I lived in that country for more years than I did in China.

I started a family, and my two children were born and they are completely Chilean.

I love their culture, customs and food. My favorite dish is pantroca.Chicken broth, egg and pasta soup is perfect for winter.

I learned a lot of Chilean, like the words “Kashi‘ also ‘webon‘.

I am very happy to receive so much love from Chileans. They help me and support me. I feel I have more strength to give my best.

I don’t know if there is a recipe for success. But I think it’s very important. Trust yourself, fearlessly, courageously and move forward. It doesn’t matter how old you are or anything else.

You have to fight and fight to the end.

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