Son Jooyeon of Daegu Yearam School Wins Both Gold and Silver Medals in Swimming at National Sports Festival for Students with Disabilities

Son Jooyeon, a student at Daegu Yearam School (Principal: Jeong Kyungryeol), delivered a thrilling and dramatic performance in the swimming events at the 20th National Sports Festival for Students with Disabilities, held in various locations throughout Busan, capturing both a gold and a silver medal.

On the first day of the competition, Son Jooyeon won the gold medal in the 50m backstroke S14 (middle school division) for girls, achieving a remarkable victory by finishing with a time of 45.17 seconds—just 0.05 seconds ahead of the runner-up. She continued her strong performance by earning a valuable silver medal in the 100m backstroke, further demonstrating the strength of special education in Daegu. This achievement has drawn considerable attention, as it is the result of the school’s systematic swimming infrastructure support and the athlete’s relentless effort.

Son Jooyeon, student at Daegu Yearam School

In the 50m backstroke S14 event for girls on the first day, Son Jooyeon engaged in an intense, breath-holding race. The fierce battle for the lead continued neck-and-neck until the final touchpad, where Son Jooyeon, maintaining her focus until the very end, finished in 45.17 seconds—edging out the second-place swimmer (45.22 seconds) by a mere 0.05 seconds for a dramatic victory. She also added a valuable silver medal in the 100m backstroke event by never giving up until the end of the race.

The miraculous outcome of winning by 0.05 seconds was made possible by Daegu Yearam School’s long-term educational plan and unwavering support, which nurture and encourage students’ dreams in various ways. Unlike most other schools, which must rent external swimming pools, Daegu Yearam School provides training in its own on-campus pool, saving travel time and ensuring a safe environment for practice.

With the school’s full support, Son Jooyeon made use of every available moment, from early morning before classes to spare time after school, to endure strenuous training. Even amid the demanding schedule of balancing academics and athletics, her consistent dedication and hard work ultimately bore dazzling fruit.

Principal Jeong Kyungryeol stated, “I am very proud and impressed by Son Jooyeon, who maintained her focus until the very last moment and achieved a wonderful victory in her battle with herself. Our school supports students’ holistic growth not only through cultural and artistic programs, but also through systematic physical education utilizing excellent on-campus infrastructure. We will continue to do our utmost to provide tailored educational support so that our students can overcome the barriers of disability, discover their unique potential, and confidently pursue their dreams in the world.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.