National champion Gao Qunxiang using his entrepreneurial flair to take Chinese skateboarding to next level

Gao Qunxiang was lying in a hospital treatment room when he learned that he had won a gold medal at China's 14th National Games last year.

After falling heavily late in the skateboard competition in Xi'an, he feared his chance at glory had gone.

"It was all over," he recalled of his feelings as the medical unit rushed to help him. "I had prepared for the National Games for three years, but it was all in vain."

Fortunately for Gao, his scores from the previous rounds were enough to see him crowned champion.

Skateboarding was making its debut as an official medal event at the National Games, but Gao's athletic career almost ended that day.

"The MRI after the competition showed that my right ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) was torn, along with meniscus and calf bone damage," he said.

Gao has grown accustomed to the treatment table. He began skateboarding when he was just 5 and has sustained plenty of injuries through the years.

"It was a broken bone here and a torn muscle there," said his father, Gao Yong. "I wanted him to learn how to control the speed."

In the 2000s, there were very few suitable grounds for skateboarding in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province in Northwest China.Gao Yong tried every means to coach Gao Qunxiang and his cousin, Sun Kunkun, taking them to participate in activities and competitions around the country.

In 2012, Gao Qunxiang won a junior national championship in Shanghai and became a rising star in the skateboarding community. His first senior national championship came in 2017 as he dominated the G-Shock Skateboarding Championships with stunning performances. He retained his title the following year.

Gao and Sun represented China at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia where they reached the finals of the street and park events respectively.

They look back on that tournament as an opportunity missed.

"Both of us were too cautious at that time,and we didn't perform many skillful moves that we could have," said Sun, who is five years older than Gao.

"We thought we had more opportunities,"he added. "But sometimes you are given only one chance to shine."

While the dream of racing for medals in international events for China came to an end, another dream was about to start.

After the ups and downs of the National Games, Gao told his parents and cousin about his plan to launch a skatepark in Xi'an.

"I've always dreamt about operating such a park of my own," he said, reasoning that if he had the use of such a professional venue in his younger years he could have achieved more on the international stage.

"I appreciate the support from my fans across the country, especially when I was in hospital," he said. "There's no reason why I shouldn't pay them back."

Using his career earnings, Gao rented a factory workshop in the suburbs of Xi'an.He hired a design team from Shanghai and transformed it into a skateboarding "paradise" where new talents can be nurtured.

With Gao being a perfectionist, the official opening of the park was delayed from early July to August - almost missing the summer vacation which is prime time for attracting his youthful target market.

Gao Yong, who organizes a sports training camp in Xi'an, does what he can to advise and support his son's new enterprise.

"He is an impatient person. It isn't a bad thing for him to learn that reward takes time," Gao Yong said.

Considering his athletic career could now be over, the 20-year-old Gao Qunxiang does not seem too disappointed as he looks to the boundless possibilities of the future with optimism.

"The most annoying thing is I cannot perform any moves in such a beautiful skatepark," he said, adding that he thought he had totally recovered in March but soon injured his right leg again.

Recently, he made up his mind to go to Beijing for thorough treatment and rehabilitation. Now he reckons he has an 80 percent chance of getting back to his best.

"All the joy in my life comes from skateboarding. Bagging a gold medal and finishing a great move give me the same feeling of fulfillment, the same as coaching an outstanding youngster," he said.

He is convinced the park will soon be thriving when he returns to Xi'an after the treatment.

"It will be a brand-new start," he said."Just like a well-known motto in our community - 'It's never too late to start skateboarding.'"

"That's why I chose START as the name of my skatepark," he added with a boyish grin.