"Action actress" Ha Thi Linh and extraordinary determination

Boxer Ha Thi Linh (3rd from left) at the 2025 Capital Outstanding Women Commendation Ceremony. Photo: X.HAI

As one of eight outstanding individuals recently honored by the Hanoi People's Committee at the 95th anniversary of the Vietnam Women's Union, Ha Thi Linh is not only the "iron fist" of Vietnamese sports but also a living symbol of the extraordinary will and determination of Vietnamese women in the new era.

From ethnic minority girl to boxing "star"

Born into a poor farming family in the highlands of Lao Cai, Ha Thi Linh's life seemed to be tied to farming and hard work. However, at the age of 12, the skinny, agile girl caught the eye of coach Nguyen Nhu Cuong, who discovered Linh's special qualities during a selection of athletes for the Hanoi boxing team. From then on, her life took a different turn, more difficult, but also more glorious.

In the first days away from home, Linh had to face the pain of missing her mother, the pain of her injury and the loneliness in the strange city. Without a phone, without relatives, she could only grit her teeth and endure, because behind her was a poor family who was sending hope. "Every time I missed home, I told myself I had to try hard to help my parents escape poverty," she recalled. With that will, Linh overcame everything to gradually affirm her name on the stage.

After two years of hard training, Linh was promoted to the national youth team, then the national team. At only 20 years old, she won the gold medal at the 2013 SEA Games in her first time participating in the regional arena.

Since then, her journey has been a series of remarkable achievements: Gold medal at the 2022 National Sports Festival, Gold medal at the 2023 National Championship, Gold medal at the 32nd SEA Games in 2023, Silver medal at the 2024 Asian Games, Bronze medal at the 2025 World Championship and especially she won the 11th ticket for Vietnamese Sports to the 2024 Paris Olympics - a testament to her talent and desire to constantly reach the top.

But behind the shining medals are countless drops of sweat and tears. The little girl is now a mother of two, still training hard every day, preparing for the upcoming 33rd SEA Games in Thailand, with the goal of bringing more glory to the Fatherland. For Linh, “sports is a passion, a path that helps me change my life, but above all, it is a responsibility to the flag and the colors of the country”.

A mother's determination and will for the flag and colors

If on the stage, Ha Thi Linh is as strong as an “iron fist”, then in real life she is a gentle, self-sacrificing mother. The story of her winning the gold medal at the 2018 National Sports Festival when her first daughter was only 6 months old moved many people.

Unable to send her child to Hanoi due to financial difficulties, Linh asked permission to bring her child to Hanoi and rented a small room near the training center. She said: “I practice during the day and come home at night to breastfeed my child. Sometimes I am very tired, just hearing my child cry gives me more strength.” It is the love of my child and family that has helped her overcome the harshest limits.

In 2020, Linh gave birth to her second child and had to temporarily leave the team. But just two years later, she returned strong, won the gold medal at the 2022 National Sports Festival, and continued to shine at the 32nd SEA Games. She emotionally recounted: “My teacher told me to try my best to compete so I can have money to buy milk for my child. That encouragement brought tears to my eyes and made me determined to give it my all.” After each victory, people saw Linh’s bright smile, but few people knew that behind it were long nights missing her child, and tears in the gym when her body had not yet recovered after giving birth.

Her family is a strong support system. Her husband (a fellow countryman who understands and shares his wife’s hardships) volunteered to stay home to take care of their two children so she could focus on her career. “I miss my two children so much, but when I hear them call me and tell me to try harder, I get more motivation,” Linh shared. It is that love that has helped Linh overcome all challenges to continue writing new chapters for Vietnamese boxing.

On the arena, she not only fights for herself, but also for the Vietnamese women who are striving every day in life - mothers, wives, and workers who are always strong and resilient. Linh's victory is not only a sporting victory, but also a victory of will, of maternal love, of the qualities of Vietnamese women who are good at national affairs, good at housework, and a victory of an athlete who always fights with all her heart for the flag and colors of the Fatherland.

At the age of 30, Ha Thi Linh is still continuing her journey to conquer new heights. Each of her punches on the ring is not only the power of physical strength, but also the power of faith, of aspiration and of love. From a poor girl from the highlands to a SEA Games champion, a continental runner-up, a world bronze medalist, and then a mother of two children carrying the flag on her shoulders, Linh is proof of the simple truth: "There is no limit to the will of Vietnamese women".

On October 20 - the day honoring Vietnamese women, the story of martial artist Ha Thi Linh is not only a tribute to the women who have been silently contributing, but also a strong inspiration for the younger generation that, no matter the circumstances, as long as they have faith, passion and love, every woman can become a symbol of strength and compassion, like the way Ha Thi Linh is shining, simple but proud, in everyday life and on the international sports arena.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/da-nu-ha-thi-linh-va-nghi-luc-phi-thuong-175882.html