Weightlifter Hsieh Meng-en and Mixed Martial Artist Yu Kai-wen’s Secrets to Success: Confidence and Pragmatism

　Weightlifter Hsieh Meng-en（謝孟恩）, from Kaohsiung’s Taoyuan District, achieved personal bests this year at the 2024 IWF World Weightlifting Championships（IWF世界舉重錦標賽）in Phuket, Thailand, by lifting 155 kg in the snatch and 200 kg in the clean and jerk. Seen as one of Taiwan’s rising stars, he is currently competing in various events to earn points, aiming to advance to the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games（名古屋亞運）and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics（洛杉磯奧運）.
　Coming from an underprivileged family, Hsieh admits that, aside from his desire to succeed, he also hopes to win prize money at competitions so he can improve his family’s financial situation. Weightlifting has been his dream since elementary school, and he always faces training with determination. 

　He believes that weightlifting is different from sports like basketball and volleyball, which involve teammates. “Every day, I only face the barbell and weight plates,” he says. Besides having explosive power and coordination, he emphasizes that having a strong mental focus with clear goals is even more crucial. Only with sufficient confidence can one break through personal limits and achieve progress.

　Another athlete who emphasizes winning through attitude is mixed martial artist Yu Kai-wen（尤凱文）, also known as “Caesar.” As a member of the Wanshan community in Maolin District, he works as a coach at a fitness center. His judo and sanda skills brought him triumph at the inaugural 2023 Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championships（綜合格鬥亞錦賽）in Thailand.

　Mixed martial arts incorporates judo, boxing, sanda, and other martial arts, blending their techniques seamlessly. “I don’t aim for flashy moves or throwing my opponent beautifully; I just need to win,” stresses Caesar. Victory, he asserts, lies not in the elegance of a technique but in its effectiveness and practicality.
　Caesar’s coach once told him that only by working hard can one achieve success. This has influenced his life profoundly, teaching him to strive for excellence in any job he undertakes. He continually thinks about and improves his techniques and strategies, encouraging his students to push their limits and shine as athletes.