The Boy Runing Star Pu Chung-Chiang

Although he is only nine-year-old, Pu Chung-chiang (Wesley Paul) already has an international following among the ever-increasing community of long-distance runners. And when he returned to Taiwan from the U.S. in June for a two-month visit with his parents and younger brother, he added several thousand Chinese to his list of fans. On his arrival at Taipei's International Airport he was greeted by a large number of admirers, and later on he was joined on his track workouts by young runners anxious to emulate his record-breaking performances. Among Wesley's honors today are holding 17 world records for his age group in long-distance running; being picked by Sports Illustrated last year as one of the world's major track stars, after setting a record in his class of three hours and 31 seconds in a marathon run last October in New York; and being chosen as the fastest boy in the world by the New York Times. The boy running star's early years gave little indication of what was to come, however. After spending the first three years of his life with his grandparents in Taiwan, he went to live with his parents in New York. Like many New Yorkers, his father, Prof. Ai-lo Paul used to run every morning to reduce his weight and improve his health. Fascinated, Wesley started to join him on his workouts. At first, he always fell behind, but as he continued to practice, he was able to keep up with his father's pace. They adopted the aerobic style of running, which involved walking for a while every so often to reduce fatigue. Apart from the exercise, Wesley learned to enjoy the countryside during his runs with his father. Often they would stop to laugh and chat, or to play with the wild animals. At the age of six, Wesley moved with his family to Missouri, where he set his first record of six minutes and four seconds in a mile race. Last September in a marathon held in Chicago, participated in by 5,200 runners, he set a new record of three hours 15 minutes and 32 seconds in the 26 mile 385 yard race. He achieved even wider fame with his latest record of 3 hrs. 31 secs. in the New York marathon in October. In spite of his fame, Wesley is always reminded by his parents not to be proud, since some other boy who is not so well-known might be better than he. Like most Chinese parents, they think that to love and punish a child are not incompatible. In addition to studying and running, Wesley also helps his mother with the housework, such as washing dishes, cleaning the house and looking after his younger brother. Although the family lives in the U.S., it still maintains Chinese customs. For instance, nobody is allowed to sit down at the dinner table until Wesley's father, as head of the family has taken his seat. Being a Chinese and a runner, it is not surprising that one of Wesley's idols is Chi Cheng, the "Flying Antelope", who is one of the most outstanding athletes in the Republic of China's history. When he first met Chi Cheng in the U.S., he told her: "You set an example in life for me." His second meeting came in June when he returned to Taipei and took part in training with local track and field athletes. Miss Chi Cheng remarked that Wesley is a handsome and polite child. Like most children, he enjoys watching cartoons on television and has been surprised to see that many television stations in Taiwan put on American cartoons. At the city stadium in Taipei, he learned a new sport-table tennis-and already he is proving to be an adept player. While at the National Taiwan University Hospital, he was given a medical test which showed his heart and lungs are stronger than those of the average child. Praising Wesley's physical condition, doctors point out that his example proves that proper training and exercise can benefit a child and do not damage his physical development, as some people think. Mrs. Paul pointed out that more and more American youngsters have taken up running in the past two or three years. It seems that the habit may be catching on in Taiwan too. While Wesley demonstrated his running techniques in Taipei and Kaohsiung, he was joined by hundreds of local children. Recently, a "Pu Chung-chiang Club-300 miles a year" has been organized in Taiwan to persuade children to run a mile a day at least 300 days a year. Wesley's father pointed out that according to experiments conducted by Dr. Kenneth Cooper, people who run each day are more alert, have a stronger heart and lungs, better blood circulation and clearer mind than those who do not. Prof. Paul is planning to publish newsletters for the "Pu Chung-chiang Club" and to organize an association of long-distance runners so as to promote running in Taiwan. It is also hoped the movement will help more people to improve their health, and lead to the discovery of more "Wesley Pauls."

Wesley with his father, Prof. Ai-lo Paul, and right in picture on opposite page, in a demonstration race in Taipei

Aspiring young athletes in Taipei reach out to shake hands with Wesley