Sun Yu-Ren walks with a limp, but carries himself with the confidence of a prince — he is handsome, bright-eyed, and always smiling. Though he was born with cerebral palsy, his disability, rather than restraining his spirit, became the starting point of a life filled with courage, transformation, and inspiration.
Bullied for being different
“I was born with cerebral palsy. From a young age, I walked and spoke differently, which made me a target for bullying. I was laughed at, bullied, and excluded. Some classmates even formed a group with a cruel motto: ‘Let’s hit Sun Yu-Ren.’ Whenever they felt upset or annoyed, they’d chase after me, shouting it. Those moments were painful, but they didn’t define me.”
“Over the years, my mother made me try every possible therapy, but she also taught me independence. Every time I fell, she would want me to get up by myself, saying: ‘Yu-Ren, I can’t be with you forever, but cerebral palsy will be.’ That sentence stayed with me. I realized I couldn’t let my body confine me. I didn’t want to be like a butterfly endlessly trapped in its cocoon. I asked myself: What strengths do I have?”
In 2005, fate led him to horses
“I began therapy at the Taiwan Equestrian Therapy Center. When I rode a horse, I felt powerful, proud, and free. For the first time, I wasn’t limited by my physical challenges. On horseback, I could run and gallop just like anybody else. After six months of training, I entered my first competition.
“That day, everyone wore long pants; I was the only one in shorts. And guess what? I, the guy in shorts, won! At first, I couldn’t believe it. Throughout my entire life, I had been at the bottom of the rank. How could I possibly be first? That moment changed everything, and I decided to pursue a career as a professional equestrian.
Chasing the dream, falling, and rising again
“I knew I was different, but on horseback, I felt confident. I trained hard. My coach never treated me differently; he pushed me like everyone else. Starting in 2006, I participated in numerous competitions, but never won a prize. Not even once. Eventually, my team was downgraded to a lower level. I felt crushed. I wondered if this meant I wasn’t good enough, and I started doubting myself.”
His coach never gave up on him, and said: ‘Yu-Ren, I believe in you. You can do this.”
In May 2014, he qualified for the World Equestrian Games
“That was the moment I realized something powerful: being placed in a lower group doesn’t mean you’re incapable. It just means you’ve been given a larger space to shine even brighter. A ‘high-level’ isn’t always the best fit; finding your place is the real key to fulfilling your dreams.
“I became the first Taiwanese para-equestrian athlete to compete in the World Cup. I represented my country and proved that even I, someone the world once saw as hindered, could do the impossible. I just needed to be in the right place.”
A shift in perspective
“I used to believe that cerebral palsy deprived me of my abilities. I used to wish for all of this to be gone. I thought that only then would I finally be ‘normal.’ But I forgot something important: Without cerebral palsy, there would be no Sun Yu-Ren standing at the World Cup.
“Without cerebral palsy, Sun Yu-Ren would not be able to share his inspirational journey with you. I finally realized that what truly held me back wasn’t cerebral palsy; it was my attitude toward it. As long as you hold on to your dreams, face your challenges, and dare to try, you can turn impossible into possible and become who you are meant to be.”
Translated by Katy Liu and edited by Laura Cozzolino
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