Bravely Facing a Rare Disease – Embracing the Best in Sportsmanship

Wang’s volleyball career started at an early age. “When I was young I liked watching the cartoon series Attacker You! (東洋魔女), and developed an interest in volleyball. I joined my school team, and have been playing ever since.” However, it has not all been smooth sailing on her volleyball journey. “My whole third year in high school did not go well,” she says. “There were many things I didn’t agree with, and there were many tears.” She was filled with doubt after graduation, thinking she perhaps should give up playing, but with her father’s guidance decided to continue.

In 2009, Wang was selected for the national training team and then named to the representative team. Her game was maturing, and the future ahead looked bright. Then, in 2013, she was diagnosed with a rare disease – multiple sclerosis. Recalling that time, she says: “The disease affected my optic nerves. My focus was slow, and I couldn’t see the ball. I felt great pressure during that period, worried about not playing well and affecting my team’s results.”

“However, it had happened, so obsessing about it was useless. So, as part of my physician’s treatment, I went home to concentrate on recuperating for more than three months.” This proactive medical rehabilitation brought positive results, and she gradually got better. “I still suffer some after-effects,” she says, “and sometimes my visual focusing will be a little slow, but I’ve learned to deal with it, and know how to compensate.”

The pain caused by her sickness could not defeat Wang, and she fought with all her will to climb out of the abyss. She has been resolute on her path back to the playing court and the recovery of her elite skills. In 2015, she received the highest honor in domestic sports–the Best Sportsmanship Award at the Taiwan Sports Elite Awards (體育菁英獎最佳運動精神獎). Said Wang of that experience: “I hope that winning this award provides inspiration and motivation for other people!”

1,000-Plus Points in League Play – Hoping for Universiade Gold

Wang is now in her fourth year of studies in the Department of Leisure and Sport Management at Cheng Shiu University (正修科技大學休閒運動管理系), and as already mentioned is a member of the Taipower women’s volleyball team. Her days are busy, with work in the morning and practice in the afternoon. In June this year she burst through the 1,000-point mark in Top Volleyball League (企業排球聯賽) play, leading Taipower to the league throne. She says modestly that “Breaking through 1,000 was very nice, but considering my ratio of spikes to points, it wasn’t all that good!”

In both training and competition, Wang says the feeling is different playing in the Top Volleyball league and on the national team. In the league, each player belongs to a different home team. The national team is composed of the best from the league teams. She says “Just as the first half of the league season finishes, we go into training for the national team. So my teammates from Monday to Friday become my opponents on the weekend again! Everyone is familiar with each other, and knows how each other is developing. So you have to find more ways to break through. With such healthy competition, you find even more space for improvement.”

Competing in the Olympics has always been Wang’s dream. “I hope to do well in my role as a front-line attacker, continually break through personal barriers, and win individual awards. Not to be looking up from the bottom at the world’s elite players, but to be able to climb up there with them, and to be as strong as they are!” For her, playing is a form of enjoyment. “When I score, of course I’m happy. But what I like best, in games and practice, is how everyone concentrates all their mental and physical energies on that ball, fighting and working their hardest.”

Readying for the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade competition, Wang is now hard at work with the national training team. “We’re establishing a solid foundation,” she says, “and hope that everyone will be able to play in top form, keeping the gold medal here in Taiwan!”

Wang Sin-Ting Achievements

2011 Olympic women’s national training team

2012 Women’s national team (FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix, Olympic Qualification Tournament)

2013 Women’s national team (Asian Club Volleyball Championship)

2014 Women’s national team (Asian Eastern Zone Volleyball Championship)

2015 Olympic women’s national training team, women’s national team Asian Volleyball Championship (4th place), Gwangju Summer Universiade Chinese Taipei delegation flag bearer