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Dong Ming currently spends her days distributing meal coupons for volunteers working at the Water Cube. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

The life of Dong Ming, a wheelchair-bound girl from Hubei Province, became intertwined with the Olympics through her roles as an Olympic torch bearer and Paralympic volunteer.

"My current daily work includes distributing meal coupons for all the volunteers at the National Aquatics Center and welcoming senior guests at the VIP entrance."

The 22-year-old said her happiest day here was September 8, when Premier Wen Jiabao chatted with her and encouraged her with an inscription before going to watch the games.

"It's unbelievable, since I never dared to imagine the day when I could meet Premier Wen face to face. The feeling at that moment was fantastic."

Dong Ming says this is the best way for her to fulfill her Olympic dream, though it differs from her original plan.

Dong Ming once dreamed of competing for China in the Olympic diving pools. But her dream slid permanently out of reach when a swimming accident left her paralyzed at the age of nine.

"I was unconscious in the hospital for several days. When I came to, I heard my mom crying in the corridor. The doctor told my parents I would never stand again and would be paralyzed from my neck down."

Dong Ming faced her toughest trials in bed for the next few years, when she could only look around her room all day. Her parents even had to help her turn over in bed. She repeatedly thought about ending her life, but her mom stopped her.

"She was very angry with my thought and told me that I would never be a real athlete, someone who is supposed to be strong-willed whether in a favorable situation or in a crisis."

Her words made Dong Ming determined to regain her passion for life. But no one could have predicted the miracle that befell her at a historical moment in Chinese history.

"I will never forget the day when Beijing won the bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games. On July 13, 2001, I could feel my arms again."

Dong decided to help handicapped people plagued by psychological problems and to contribute everything she could to the preparations for the Beijing Olympics. Her dedication earned her the honor of carrying the Olympic flame during the torch relay in Wuhan, Hubei Province on May 31.

"It was another unforgettable experience for me. I got up early that day and tried my best to hold the torch, as I had unfortunately caught a cold right before the relay."

She took the torch to the quake-hit areas in Sichuan, where she tried to help calm the worried residents with her experience in overcoming hardship and her happiness from the torch relay.

"The local people seemed to gain strength after seeing the torch and became confident they could rebuild their homes after learning of the hardship I had endured."

Dong will remain in the sports arena after the Paralympics as a member of the national women's wheelchair rugby team. Dong said her biggest hope is to compete in the 2012 Olympics in London, and possibly in the 2016 games as well.