Former Basketball Coach: Why I Volunteer for Shen Yun

(Minghui.org) As a former military basket coach and a successful businesswoman in China, I am grateful to Falun Dafa for giving me a second life and rescuing me from severe illness. This is why I often go to tourist attractions to tell people about Falun Dafa and to expose the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) defamation of the practice. I also volunteer for Shen Yun. 

Ms. Wang Jinju, a former basketball coach and businesswoman, now lives in Canada. 

Ups and Downs in Life

Born to a poor family in Shandong Province in 1948, I was the seventh of eight children. Seeing the blooming chrysanthemums in our yard, my father, whose hobby was calligraphy, named me Jin Ju (golden chrysanthemum) to wish me resilience and success in life. 

My childhood was painful. During the depths of the Great Famine (1959 to 1961), more than 10 local villagers died every day. To help support the family, an older sister and I went to Northeast China to work in a factory, and I was the youngest worker. 

After we returned to our hometown several years later, a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) basketball team came to our area to recruit people. I thus joined the basketball team in the PLA’s general Logistics Department and I later joined the basketball team in Jinan Military Region. I later became a basketball coach in the 26th Army. My hard work brought me many awards, but it also brought lots of physical injuries and pain. 

After I retired from the army in the 1980s, I became the vice-president of a film and video company. Once again, my efforts brought me a large house, a nice car, and a personal driver. My mother and the villagers in my hometown also benefited from my position. 

However, in 1995, I had a series of severe illnesses and was paralyzed. My family took me to many hospitals for treatment, but nothing worked. 

One year later, a friend gave me a copy of Zhuan Falun and said that many people recovered from serious illnesses after they practiced Falun Dafa. Since medical treatments did not help, I began to read the book and I was impressed by the profound teachings it conveyed. I decided to practice Falun Dafa. 

My health improved quickly. One month later, my paralysis was gone and I was able stand. After they witnessed this miracle, many friends and relatives also decided to practice Falun Dafa. 

All my life I focused on making more money. After I began practicing Falun Dafa, I realized Falun Dafa is very precious because the practice can improve both mind and body. I decided to introduce Falun Dafa to the soldiers and army officials I once worked with. 

Telling People the Facts

Seeing my amazing improvements, several of my siblings decided to practice Dafa. After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began suppressing Falun Dafa in 1999, however, they were also persecuted. 

Like me, my second older sister Wang Jinliang suffered from numerous illnesses while working as an accountant. Falun Dafa gave her good health and she was very thankful. Because she refused to renounce Falun Dafa after the persecution began, she was sentenced to eight years in prison. Despite the persecution, she remained determined to practice. 

My younger sister Wang Jinxiang, a national level volleyball coach, was the first one in my family to go to Beijing to appeal for Falun Dafa. She was illegally arrested and sent to a labor camp, where guards injected her with unknown poisonous drugs. She was only in her 50s when she died. 

I was fortunate to leave China in 2004 and move to Canada, where I often go to tourist attractions to talk to visitors, especially those from China, about Falun Dafa. Many Chinese have been deceived by the CCP’s hate propaganda against Falun Dafa. One of the biggest lies is the staged Self-Immolation Incident at Tiananmen Square in 2001. 

In addition to going to tourist sites near my home, I also travel to Niagara Falls and talk to tourists about Dafa while clarifying the truth about the CCP’s slanderous propaganda. I also tell people about my own experiences. Many people have learned facts and have thanked me for being there. 

Volunteering for Shen Yun

Three years after I moved to Canada, I watched a Shen Yun performance for the first time in 2007. I was very excited because, from the show, I learned what true traditional Chinese culture is—something no longer available in communist China. 

When I was a child, my parents often told me to be a good person. But many of these values have been lost, as it seems people are focused on making money or pursuing power—even if they hurt others. Watching Shen Yun reconnected me with mankind’s traditional values and I realized this is what our society needs. 

I’ve watched Shen Yun every year since then and I also support the show as a volunteer. For example, I put up Shen Yun posters in stores; I’ve guarded Shen Yun buses to prevent pro-CCP agents from damaging the vehicles; I’ve also traveled to the U.S. to help with the show in American cities. 

Unfortunately, the CCP does not allow Shen Yun to perform in China. In fact, the CCP has always targeted traditional values. As a result, the regime has been persecuting Falun Dafa since 1999 and also targets Shen Yun. My fondest hope is that one day, Shen Yun will perform in China, so that Chinese people can also see what China was before communism. 

I am sharing my story because I hope more people hear about Falun Dafa and Shen Yun. By supporting mankind’s true culture and values, we can build a better society with a brighter future.