After spending two months with everyone, I found I’d changed fundamentally. The former tech geek became more cheerful and outgoing, leaving the room to run and play with everyone. It taught me that life isn’t just about facing a screen — communicating with people matters more.
Our class secretary said I’d changed. I asked how. She said she never saw me before, but now I come out every day — either to the medical university or to the track. My old life was basically waking up at the computer and staying there until sleep, repeating every day. Dealing with the computer all day and rarely meeting people, the club members said I was cold and didn’t dare talk to me. I wasn’t really that cold, just not much of a socializer and with little to say; staring at the screen every day, I’d nearly forgotten how to smile.
Most importantly, you showed me the spirit of sport. On the eve of the Universiade, everyone trained hard. Some were injured or exhausted, yet never gave up, constantly breaking their own records.
In the past, just hearing about the 1000m test made my legs go weak with fear; after two and a half laps I’d be coughing like I’d throw up. I could only manage two laps. Sister Na pulled me along and encouraged me. Slowly, two laps stopped worrying me, then I could do three, and now five laps no longer feel as bad as that 1000m. But I realized that while five laps are just a warm-up for them, it’s already a lot for me. My legs started aching too. At first I didn’t know what they meant by bone-deep pain; now I do, and I’ve become someone who switches legs every ten seconds on the toilet — which makes me admire them even more.
I probably can’t beat anyone; I can’t even outrun Sister Na in the 200m. But I still dare to spar with you — it’s that spirit that counts. Us programmers have a physical weakness: sitting and typing all day, our fitness has seriously declined, and that made me realize how far behind I am.
Sister Na, I haven’t been slacking — at school I drag the class monitor out running too; five laps a day is the standard now. The class secretary who used to laugh at me during the 1000m test doesn’t laugh anymore, haha.
Friends at the medical university, the Universiade is over. You were amazing and I really admire you. When I have time I’ll hang out with you again. Given the openness of the internet, I won’t name everyone individually.