China's Jia Qi Hui: 'I'm Living My Happiest Moments'

Oct. 8, 2007— -- Jia Qi Hui was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at a young age. The disorder leads her to unusual behaviors.

"She was always tearing up paper … but now she channels her energy towards playing ping pong," her mother, Don Li Fang, said.

Jia first met ping pong coach Liu Shao Guo two years ago, but he didn't think she'd make it far in the sport at first.

"My first impression was really bad. I wasn't impressed by her ability," Liu said. "But she has such a passion for the sport that every day after school she asked me for extra help so I taught her [ping pong] step by step."

Coach Liu took Jia 150 miles away from her family to the Jinlin Province Table Tennis School in Changchun, China. Here she focuses strictly on ping pong and preparing for the Special Olympics in Shanghai.

The three-month training camp is intense -- Jia practices five hours a day, six days a week.

"For one thing, she is very hard working, which is a tradition of Chinese people. She stands in front of the mirror and practices her poses and spikes. She will do this one or 200 times in a row. It is very good practice," Liu said.

Despite the hard work and long days, Jia said she enjoys her time at the school.

"I love playing table tennis. I like to hit and spike the ball hard, and I enjoy all types of strategic maneuvers," she said. "Playing table tennis was always my childhood dream, and now I'm living my happiest moments."

And the game has seemed to turn around her behavior.

"This sport has improved her ability to focus, and she has become a much more confident girl," Liu said. "Hopefully with that confidence she will lead a better life."