Chongqing — When the national anthem played inside Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Nov. 22, 21-year-old Li Kui lifted his eyes toward the rising Chinese flag, a bright smile breaking across his face.

For the young man from Wushan County who has lived his entire life in silence, the moment marked the culmination of a decade of discipline and grit — and a stunning “double gold” victory at the 25th Summer Deaflympics.

Li captured China’s first-ever men’s individual poomsae gold in Deaflympics taekwondo, then paired with teammate Yang Luyu to win the mixed pair title, capping a historic day for China’s delegation.

Li Kui. (Photo/Chongqing Disabled Persons’ Federation)

Li was born with congenital hearing impairment in Liangping Township, Wushan County. The condition cut him off from spoken language, but it never slowed his steps. 

“When he fell as a child, he never cried,” his mother, Zou Chuanju, recalled. “He just dusted himself off and kept running.” At 15, Li discovered taekwondo — a sport that relies heavily on verbal commands and rhythm. For a deaf athlete, every drill was harder. He could not hear instructions, so he learned by watching. “He would stare at my legs 10 or 20 times, then copy the movement again and again,” said Liu Yuqing, head poomsae coach at the Chongqing Disabled Persons’ Taekwondo Training Base.

In the soundless training hall, Li developed his own communication system: recording routines on his phone, reading hand signals, and allowing coaches to correct his muscle positions through touch.

“Where others practiced a move ten times, he practiced it a hundred times,” Liu said.

Support from the county disabled persons’ federation, his special-education school, and the city’s training base helped him advance steadily from county competitions to municipal and national events — and eventually to earning a place at the Deaflympics.

In mid-September, Li and mixed-pair partner Yang Luyu left for Qingdao, Shandong Province, for their final pre-Games training camp. The schedule was rigid: warm-ups, stretching, poomsae drills — from early morning until night.

Because the athletes could not hear, absolute precision was even more important. Poomsae requires synchronized timing, and Li and Yang relied on eye contact and long-developed chemistry.

On Nov. 16, training ended. On the flight to Tokyo, Li clutched his phone tightly. In his notes, he had written: “Keep going — for my country, my hometown, and myself.”

The 25th Summer Deaflympics drew 3,000 athletes from 81 countries and regions. Competition in Tokyo was fierce. Li’s breakthrough came in the afternoon men’s individual poomsae finals against an Iranian athlete. Delegation leader Zhang Yinyu tapped his shoulder with a hand-sign message: “Do it just like you trained. You’ve got this.”

When he finished, applause filled the arena. Judges awarded high marks, and Li clinched the gold — China’s first in men’s poomsae at the Deaflympics.

Backstage, Li embraced his coaches. “In that moment, every hardship was worth it,” Zhang said.

Chongqing athletes return from the Deaflympics. Li Kui is third from the left. (Photo/Chongqing Disabled Persons’ Federation)

Soon after, Li and Yang took the floor for the mixed pair final against traditional powerhouse South Korea. Their synchronization was flawless, their performance commanding. When China was declared the winner, the pair clasped hands and beamed.

Speaking to reporters via text that evening, Li said, “It was my first time competing at this level. There were many strong athletes, and every match was a test. I’m very happy I held the pressure and won two golds. I believe Team China will achieve even more.”

With two gold medals in a single day, Li Kui showed the world that determination can transcend silence. His journey — from a quiet mountain village to the top of the Deaflympics podium — stands as a reminder that with persistence and belief, anyone can shine on their own path.