She may only be a slip of a woman , but Duong Thuy Vi 's athletic talent should not be taken lightly . A star in the martial art of Wushu , the 21-year-old Vietnamese clinched gold at the World Championships and the Southeast Asian Games in 2013 and was crowned champion at the 17th Asian Games held in South Korea last September . Having won numerous titles as a junior -- she was a national , regional and world champion -- Duong has n't tired of the winning feeling in her fledgling senior career . `` Each time I win and stand on the podium , I feel that I truly have won myself , '' Duong told CNN 's Human to Hero series . `` When they put the gold medal on me , I feel so emotional , as if it is a dream . '' Growing up in Hanoi , Duong was n't particularly interested in the sport and has an overweight relative to thank for sparking her career into life . `` When I was small , I did n't know anything about Wushu , '' she said . `` I only knew that martial arts could make you healthy . One of my cousins who was very fat practiced Wushu to lose weight and I asked to come with him . '' Her cousin 's interest may have waned pretty quickly -- `` he quit after a week -- he is still fat ! '' she jokes -- but Duong has persevered and now tucks into a rigorous daily diet of exercise , training in both the morning and afternoon six days a week , sometimes longer . `` Before important tournaments , we even practice on Sunday mornings -- the programs consist of physical and technique training . '' The modern sport of Wushu started life in ancient China as a form of self defense , explains Daniel Kainan Pan , a former member of the Great Britain Wushu team . `` Traditional Wushu can be said to be the ancestor of all martial arts like Aikido , Karate , Judo -- they all came from ancient Chinese martial arts , '' Kainan Pan says . `` What really sets Wushu apart ( from other martial arts ) is that it 's more of a complete system , in the sense that in the fighting aspect there are grabs and throws but also punches and kicks -- you can use anything you want . `` From a performance aspect , it 's almost comparable to gymnastics -- everyone does 720 ( -degree ) rotations and lands in the splits . '' There are also weapons to wield in Duong 's non-combat discipline -- female competitors perform their individual routines with either a double-edged straight sword ( Jian ) or a spear ( Qiang ) while the men use a slightly different type of sword , a Dao , and a wooden staff called a Gun . `` Everything about Wushu is equally very difficult , '' Duong says . `` It requires you to be persistent in training to combine the movements of your head , your arms , your legs and your whole body . It 's very important that all the movements are coordinated carefully . '' As she roams around the floor space at the gym in downtown Hanoi and casually performs eye-watering stretches on the stall bars , it 's clear that this dedication has paid off -- her supple , flowing movements have a balletic quality to them . This combination of strength and grace is one of Wushu 's most appealing aspects , says Kainan Pan , but also one of the hardest to master . `` The sport may be derived from traditional martial arts , but the movements are more beautiful and more emphasized , '' he says . `` You really need to be able to stretch and do the front splits -- flexibility is really difficult . The second thing is athletic ability -- there are lots of jumps and a high degree of rotation . '' Kainan Pan grew up idolizing Chinese Wushu legend turned actor Jet Li , but for Duong it is her compatriot Nguyen Thuy Hien who has spurred her on . The 35-year-old , who now coaches the sport , made history in 1993 when she won a world championship gold medal at the age of 14 before repeating the feat four years later . `` She was the first person to win a world championship gold medal for the Vietnamese Wushu team , '' Duong says . Duong will have a chance to emulate Nguyen at the World Championships in Jakarta , Indonesia next October . Victory will be another acrobatic step towards her goal of mastering both the physical and the mental challenges of the ancient martial art . `` In my opinion , in order to become a great athlete , one must have qualities of persistence , creativity and the ability to think , understand and sense what you are doing , '' she said .
Vietnamese martial artist became a world champion in 2013 . Duong trains six days a week , seven in build up to tournaments . Sport of Wushu derived from ancient Chinese martial art . Duong displays incredible athleticism in routine that uses spears and swords .