Paralympian torch bearer Jin Jing poses with a Beijing Olympic torch in China Radio International's office after taping a show on Friday, April 11, 2008. [Photo: CRI]

Everyone could become a hero if only he or she were there. Accidentally, I was there, said Jin Jing, the third torchbearers for the Olympic torch relay in Paris, during a live program for China Radio International on Friday.

The disabled fencer on a wheelchair protected the torch bravely from repeated assaults by Tibetan separatists and moved many Chinese at the scene or learning her braveness through online photos or massive media reports.

The girl's gallantry made her a household name over the night and many netizens acclaimed her "The Most Beautiful Torchbearer."

However, Jin Jing didn't think that she had done anything great. She repeated several times that any Chinese or torchbearer would have done the same thing as she did.

This 27-year-old girl didn't call her parents to tell them what had happened during the relay for she thought that was not a big deal, until several friends sent messages to her via mobile phones, telling her that her experience in Paris had been widely spread on the internet.

Then, she realized that she should tell her parents to ease their fears, said Jin Jing.

Jin Jing said she had few words about her own experience, which has been reported in detail. But she reemphasized that she was deeply impressed by the Chinese students in Paris.

Jin Jing said some girls in tears encouraged her to complete the segment while many others were waving the Chinese national flags along the route. She said they gave her the courage to defend the torch.

Jin Jing, a former member of the Shanghai Wheelchair Fencing Team, will not have the chance to participate in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. Fortunately, she was selected as a torchbearer through a nationwide competition and got the chance to join the great games in another way.

"In my opinion, the Olympics symbolizes people's common values - peace and friendship. Therefore, the atmosphere of the relay should be warm and friendly. I didn't expect such things to happen," Jin Jing told CRI.

Her calm and determined reaction during the unexpected disruption aroused enthusiasm among the Chinese people. Chinese netizens called her the "Smiling Angel on Wheelchair". Her blog had more than 40,000 clicks in 6 hours since its formal launch.

When asked why she wanted to become a fencer, Jin Jing said the stories of Zorro and the Three Musketeers were her favorites in her childhood. The sword was the weapon to fight against injustice.

This brave girl defeated cancer in 1990 but lost part of her right leg in this battle. Her courageous action in Paris made her really popular in China today.