Boccia champion Ho Yuen-kei on her journey to Paralympics glory

I was born in 1993 with spinal muscular atrophy, a disease that means your muscles get progressively weaker. My sister, who is four years younger than me, and I grew up in Siu Sai Wan, in the eastern part of Hong Kong Island. My parents didn’t know how to take care of me at first. When I was young, I could walk with some assistance. By the time I was in primary school, I was using a manual wheelchair and later I switched to an electric one.

I did all my schooling at the John F. Kennedy Centre in Sandy Bay, which offers schooling for sick and disabled children. Spinal muscular atrophy also affects the lungs and in primary school I was often in hospital. What might be a regular cold for most children could land me in hospital for a month. When I realised that I was different from other kids, it knocked my self-confidence. I wondered, “Why me? Why did I have this disease? Why couldn’t I walk?”

My teachers were supportive and encouraged me to try different activities, like wheelchair dancing. I was 10 the first time I tried boccia, a sport in which you have to throw the ball near a target ball. I found it very slow and boring. When I was in secondary school, people started talking about the importance of getting into university. They said a degree would mean a good job and secure my future. Universities wanted students who were not just good academically but well rounded. My grades were OK, and I took some art classes, but I didn’t have a sport. Because of my weak muscles, the only sport I could take up was boccia. I took it up as an after-school activity and joined some competitions and won some medals. That was exciting.