Grappling with stress, self-doubt, Chinese wrestler Rong learns to let go

SINGAPORE – Flashing a victory sign for the cameras, Rong Ningning is grinning from ear to ear as she banters with her teammates while taking part in activities at the Step South-east Asia Youth Sports Leaders Camp at Kallang.

There is no sign of the woman who “takes things very seriously”, a trait that has been both a boon and bane for the 25-year-old Chinese wrestler.

The pursuit of an “honourable dream” – to stand proudly on the podium while her country’s anthem was played – has kept her driven since she was 15, when Rong left her home in Urumqi, Xinjiang to train at the Beijing Sport University.

On top of eight-hour training days, she would wake up in the wee hours while everyone was asleep to go for a run.

Her hard work paid off when she won the 2018 world and Asian championship titles in the freestyle women’s 57kg and 59kg respectively, before adding her second Asian crown (57kg) a year later.

She finished 10th at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and set her sights on more.

She said: “After winning national titles, you want to win an Asian title. After winning the Asian title, you want to take your place as the best on the world stage. The biggest goal for an athlete is to be standing on the Olympic podium.”

But that dream was disrupted when she faced her most formidable opponent – herself.

Recognising her tendency to “take things very seriously”, she admitted: “The more seriously I take things, the more pressure I put on myself.

“I may have been the Asian champion, but at bigger competitions, I encountered Olympic champions. I lacked the self-belief... self-doubt would inevitably creep in.”

Eventually, the pressure to perform took a toll on her mental well-being.

“My body is in good shape, but I feel psychologically lost. I’m not feeling very happy when training since it’s too stressful,” she said.

“I cared too much about my performances that I neglected to unwind. I used to think that it was not good for me... Now I realise the need to relax and destress.”

That realisation led her to enrol in the recently concluded Step SEA Youth Sports Leaders Camp, which brought together 132 youth leaders from 16 countries.

Rong shared that her most cherished memories were learning to pitch a tent and cycling around Singapore, as these were new experiences for her. She also appreciated the opportunity to interact with people from countries around the region.

She added: “I needed a Singaporean to translate when speaking to a Thai... I thought it was fascinating. All of us were so happy.”

Rong’s sporting journey began when she set out to give her family – who are farmers – a better life. But her wrestling career nearly ended before it even began.

Before moving to Beijing, her regional Xinjiang team disbanded owing to poor performance and she did not train for three months. After moving to the capital, she struggled with the tough training regimen and wanted to give up.

She said: “I’ve probably cried at every corner of the Beijing National Olympics sports centre... I thought, ‘Wow, why am I so weak’?”

She now recognises the importance of taking a breather, as she is currently on a break from training and competing.

The Paris 2024 Games are on the back-burner for now and her immediate goals are those of a typical young adult – graduate from university, make more friends, and learn more about the world.

She chuckled, adding: “I’m still single and haven’t been in a relationship before... I suppose maybe I should start dating now.”