Regular readers will know that THP’s warriors (our staff members) are infused with the “Nothing is Impossible” spirit. This mantra is one of our company’s seven core values: the one that drives us towards our ambition of becoming Asia’s leading food and beverage company.
So nothing makes me happier than meeting other people who have the same determination to achieve their goals in life and inspire everyone around them in the process. I will, therefore, be enthusiastically cheering on Vietnam’s medal-winning weightlifter Le Van Cong during the XI Asean Para Games in Malaysia at the end of this month (July).
I met recently met Cong back in April when we both participated in the Vietnamese TV program Connecting with Love. I presented him with a cheque on behalf of everyone at THP.
Our desire to sponsor Cong is not so much in recognition of what he has achieved. It is all about how he has achieved it and the formidable obstacles that he has overcome to do so.
Cong has shown incredible strength, courage and resilience to overcome the circumstances of his birth and what that has meant for his entire life. He was born with atrophied legs after his mother contracted dengue fever while she was pregnant.
He also grew up in a low-income family, the second of five brothers. His was a childhood filled with love but few financial resources.
But Cong never let these barriers stand in his way. Quite the opposite: they have provided him with the strength of character to overcome adversity and the determination to succeed.
It is a familiar story: one that I have borne witness to in my own family. My parents faced multiple challenges setting up a business amid the economic ruins of the Vietnam War. This spurred them on rather than held them back.
Cong’s life changed when he moved to Ho Chi Minh in 2005. He worked around the clock to earn enough money to support himself and later his wife and children while training to be a weightlifter.
His coach says that Cong’s energy and enthusiasm has won him many fans and admirers. I am one of them.
Cong’s work ethic is inspirational and it quickly paid off. He has won countless gold medals including one at the Rio Paralympics in 2016.
And he has never rested on his laurels. It is very easy to become comfortable after achieving success.
It’s also common to worry that if we continue to push ourselves, we may ultimately fail. But Cong has never let fear or pride stand in his way.
When Cong looks back to the young man who arrived in Ho Chi Minh almost 20 years ago, he probably never imagined that he would get to travel the world, doing something he loved. He dared to dream differently, turning the challenges that life had thrown at him into opportunities and success.
But one thing that Cong has never underestimated is the hard work that is required to achieve your dreams. It goes to show that “Nothing is Impossible” if you have the right attitude!!
