NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: Weightlifter Natthida "Nong Fa" Suchartphong, who won a gold medal at the Bahrain 2021 Asian Youth Para Games, arrived home to a warm welcome on Friday.
Provincial governor Kaisorn Wisitwong led officials to welcome the 17-year-old national athlete at the provincial hall. He praised her for bringing fame to Thailand and the province, and presented her with a cash reward.
Natthida, who trains at Nakhon Si Thammarat sports school, was injured during preparation for a weightlifting competition in 2019. The accident left her partially paralysed. She was a patient under the patronage of His Majesty the King.
In true sporting spirit, the teen from Thung Song district refused to give up on her dream to be a Thai national athlete.
She kept training and her efforts yielded fruit. She became a national weightlifter with disabilities, and was entered in the Asian Para Youth Games in Bahrain, held on Dec 2-6, and won a gold medal.
Nong Fa thanked everyoone for their support and encouragement. Although she could not do things she could do before, sport still changed her life, she said.
