After rallying back and forth for a while, the ball fell towards my right hand. This was a good chance.
I waved my paddle back quickly, then hit, watching the ball draw a beautiful arc before bouncing on the table and landing on the floor. I heard cheers erupt in the previously silent room.
I had scored one point against the Canadian Paralympian table tennis champion – the peak of my table tennis “career” to date.
However, my glory ended right there. I was soon crushed by Canadian Paralympic athlete Chim-Hing (Stephanie) Chan, who came fourth in the 2016 Rio Paralympics and was a gold medal winner at the 2015 Parapan American Games.
Standing almost still, Chan returned my shots from any corner of the table, waving them back with apparent ease.
The balls she was now hitting were simply too fast and were flying past me.
I managed to get on the end of some softer balls, but they bounced into oblivion as soon as my paddle touched them.
“It’s a rotating ball,” she explained with a smile.
I felt humbled. Soon I joined the audience who had seemingly enjoyed our brief encounter on the table, although most cheered for Chan.
The room at the Richmond Centre for Disability (RCD) was full of laughter, cheer and applause last Thursday around noon during Chan’s special visit to the charity’s weekly table tennis program.
During her appearance, she played table tennis with RCD members and seniors and showed them how to play.
“It doesn’t matter if you are a senior or have a disability, you can still do exercise,” said Chan to the members.
This Richmondite has proven that with her own experience. Although acquiring her disability at age four, Chan didn’t begin playing table tennis until the age of 44, when she decided to take up ping pong to keep active.
She then won a gold, two silver and one bronze medal at three Parapan Ams from 2007 to 2015.
Taking part in the Rio Paralympics at the age of 59, Chan was one of the most senior athletes in the Canadian team. She hopes her experience can inspire more seniors and people with disabilities to participate in the sport and get active.
“I’m very happy to be here,” she told the Richmond News.
“For some people with disabilities, they are restricted to doing sports with their upper body, thus table tennis can be a very good exercise for them,” added Chan.
Ella Huang, RCD’s executive director, said she was very impressed watching Chan play.
“It’s so inspiring for our members to watch this, so we all have hope (to do sports),” Huang said.
She hopes more people with disabilities and seniors will join RCD’s free table tennis exercise, taking place between 12 and 2 p.m. every Thursday.
