I was scrolling through my phone during lunch break yesterday when I stumbled upon those black-and-white photos of Chinese women's volleyball team training in bamboo sheds. The images hit me harder than I expected - maybe because I'd just complained about my office AC being too cold.

There was 18-year-old Lang Ping, fresh into the national team in 1979, practicing in a shed where "the roof was made of bamboo and sometimes leaked when it rained." Can you imagine? These future champions training with rainwater dripping on them while we can't even handle a slightly slow WiFi connection.

But what really got me was Lang Ping recalling the wooden floorboards. "During large-area defense practice, wood splinters would accidentally pierce into our flesh," she said. "It really hurt." I actually winced reading that - thinking about the last time I got a paper cut and made a whole drama about it.

Here's the thing that struck me most: Lang Ping said they never really felt it was suffering at the time. "The training camp was hugely significant for Chinese women's volleyball team," she explained. "To achieve extraordinary results, you have to pay extraordinary prices."

It reminded me of my aunt, who was about the same age as Lang Ping back then. She used to tell me stories about their generation - how they'd walk miles to school, study by candlelight during power outages, and never once thought they had it rough. There's something about that mindset we've somehow lost along the way.

I kept thinking about those wood splinters while watching the video clip from CCTV Sports. Not the pain itself, but what came after - how these women would probably pull out the splinters, maybe wrap some cloth around their palms, and get right back to practice. No social media posts about their struggles, no hashtags about workplace safety.

Maybe that's why when I see today's athletes with their high-tech training facilities and customized nutrition plans, I can't help but feel there's something special about starting from bamboo sheds and wooden floors. It builds a different kind of toughness - the kind that doesn't show in muscles but in spirit.

Anyway, seeing those photos made me text my volleyball-crazy niece. "Remember when you quit because the gym was too far from home?" I wrote. She replied with an eye-roll emoji, but then asked for the photos. Maybe tomorrow she'll bike the extra mile to practice.

What about you? Have you ever seen old photos of your heroes' humble beginnings that made you rethink your own challenges? Share in the comments - sometimes we all need reminders that great things often start from places that leak when it rains.

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