Chinese swimmer Du Jianping snatched the host's first gold medal at the Beijing Paralympics to a thunderous cheers in the magnificent Water Cube.

But the water where he launched his swimming career may be quite different -- a little cool quite stream in his hometown, Jinhua, Southeast China's Zhejiang Province.

"It was in the year 1999 when I first got to know about the Paralympic swimming. I was in a junior school at that time," said the 25-year-old at the press conference after winning the men's 100m freestyle at S3 class in the Water Cube (China's National Stadium) Sunday.

"When I was applying for a paralysis identification, my teacher asked me whether I had a favorite sport since there was going to be the first city sports meets in my hometown," Du recalled.

He loved both table tennis and swimming, and days later, he chose swimming and got registered to compete in the event.

"At the beginning, I had no pools to go and had to start -- in a stream," Du said, surprising reporters who did not expect a gold medalist to swim out such a place. "At that time, my mother was afraid that I would get drowned as I have only one arm, so she always held a pole to drive me away (from the stream)."

Du told reporters it was not an easy job anyway for him to learn how to keep balance in water. "I found it particularly difficult, as I have to use only one arm to stroke," said Du. However, his coach would not hesitate to hold him under the water to make him master the skill of keeping balance. "Little by little, I made it."

His quest of the Paralympic title included many more hurdles: getting choked and serious injuries, but he persisted and would never have a slight idea of quitting.

"I have chosen this career, the state gives so much support to us, and I just want to show another side of us the disabled -- a striving side. So I did not give up."

Keeping the nation and people in mind, he added, "We've got a new training base now in Shunyi, northeast Beijing. We have a good training and living environment, we don't need to worry about basic living. All this contributes to our good performance."

Now poised to spurt again in his next three events, he is ever more excited. Asked how he would celebrate when his fourth gold arrives, "drinking a bottle of beverage in the hotel will be the right bash," a smiling Du answered.

(Xinhua News Agency September 8, 2008)