The year of 1995 was the apex of Deng Yaping's athletic career as the table tennis queen swept the women's team, singles and doubles gold medals at the world championships in north Chinese city Tianjin.
In the following 10 years, Deng was busy. She defended her Olympic titles, studied in universities, retired from competition, joined the Olympic bid team, obtained her master degree, took a marketing post in the Beijing Olympics organizing committee and returned to the State Sport General Administration of China as an assistant to director of Sports Equipment Department.
Deng nabbed her 18th and last major title in the Manchester world championships in May 1997. Six months later she was admitted to the prestigious Tsinghua University as an English language major, becoming one of few athlete-students. After receiving three months of crash courses, Deng went to study in the elite Cambridge University in England in February 1998. In August she returned to prepare for the 1998 Asian Games, only to see youngsters Wang Nan, Li Ju and Yang Ying were good enough to take on challenges. She faded out of the national team since September 1998 to concentrate on her studies.
The reason behind Deng's decision to pursue further studies was Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch, International Olympic Committee president from two decades. After the 1997 world championships, Mr. Samaranch recommended Deng to the IOC Athletes' Commission and Deng realized besides table tennis she could make more contributions to China.
The 19-member Athletes' Commission communicated in English or French but Deng spoke neither and had to bring a translator to meetings. Deng decided to study English in Tsinghua University. When she was about to retire, Deng asked herself what else she could do except becoming a coach. Failing to find a quick answer, Deng decided to carry on with her studies.
Reflecting on her days in Cambridge, Deng said: "Teachers liked to teach me grammar in English but I didn't understand much English, not mention grammar."
Things got better as days went on. Five months later, Deng returned to Tsinghua from Cambridge. In a coincidence Deng met the president of Nottingham University and decided to return to England. Deng studied one year in Nottingham University and finished an English research paper entitled "History and Development of Chinese Table Tennis". Deng obtained the bachelor degree on June 29, 2001, a week before Tsinghua's graduation ceremony because she had to join the 2008 Olympic bid team in Moscow.
Deng enjoyed campus life so much that she decided to work for a master degree in women's sports in Nottingham. In December 2002, Deng completed her first book - "From Bound Feet to Olympic Champions: A Social and Cultural Explanation" - and received an MA diploma.
Since 2003 Deng has been working for a PhD in an area of Olympic brands in Cambridge. Named one of five bid ambassadors for the 2008 Olympics at the end of 2000, Deng traveled the world to advocate the Beijing bid. In February 2001, Deng was recalled from England to receive an IOC inspection delegation. She still remembers an encounter with a shop clerk in early 2001, who told Deng that she would remove her home immediately to make way for an Olympic venue if Beijing won the 2008 bid.
Deng has recounted this encounter many times to her IOC colleagues and also told the story to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. She explained: "The Olympics ought to visit the world's largest populous country and it can inspire 1.3 billion people to work faster, higher and stronger and to improve their life. That is what the Olympics is all about."
Deng says what she is doing now is more important than winning gold medals. Winning gold brings national pride but can't help the less advantaged. She calls for more attention and care to the needy people.
As an IOC Athletes' Commission member and chairwoman of Chinese Top 10 Laureus Champions Committee, Deng actively participates in all kinds of charities and social functions. She is building the Laureus China Fund, which gathers sponsorships, donations and income of memorabilia auctions.
"This fund will be used to help less advantaged people, who have helped Chinese sports and should never be forgotten," said Deng.