A little white lie led to China's first-ever gold medal on the Olympic and Paralympic stage.

Legally blind long jumper Ping Yali would not have triumphed at the 1984 New York Paralympics, she claims, if her coach had not fed her some misinformation at the right time to settle her stomach.

"I was a bag of nerves," the 45-year-old told China Daily this week. "I'd only gone there for a bit of fun at first, but when I qualified for the finals it was a different feeling.

"Then, just before it was my turn to jump, my coach assured me that no one had beaten my personal best so far, which was not true - one of the jumpers had."

She went on to jump 4.28m in the women's Blind B2 long jump and make history. One month later, at the regular Olympics on the West Coast in Los Angeles, shooter Xu Haifeng followed suit by claiming China's first Olympic gold medal.

Since that fateful summer, China's Paralympians have gone from strength to strength.

They topped the gold-medal count in Athens four years ago (and one-upped their Olympic counterparts, who finished second behind the United States) and are now looking to extend their success in sport and business.

True to form, Ping is at the forefront of the latest efforts.

These days the celebrated former athlete juggles her job as an ambassador for the oft-overlooked Paralympics with her empire-building efforts to create a franchise of blind masseurs in the country.

"My biggest struggle now is how to develop the business," she told China Daily. "I want to make 'Ping Yali massage' a famous brand, a brand people trust."

Ping was born with congenital blindness and studied massage at school - one of several career paths for the visually impaired in China.

Now she wants to cement the infrastructure for more of Beijing's 60,000 legally or partially blind residents to find a job, while helping raise the profile of people with disabilities. China has a recorded disabled population of 91 million.

Already, the massage parlor she opened in 2001 after a series of financial struggles has grown into three parlors staffed by 20 Chinese.

"My sporting career taught me to persevere and never give up," she said. "I knew that starting my own business was going to be the only way I could support myself."

She started running at age 12 under the guidance of Tian Maijiu, China's first doctorate degree holder in sports, but soon encountered problems due to her poor eyesight.

In order to correct her technique, Ping made progress using creative solutions like getting other long jumpers to pose mid-run so she could imitate their posture.

After her groundbreaking result at the Paralympics, she continued her winning streak. At the next two editions of the National Games, and the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled, she won a combined 17 medals.

She retired in 1987 while pregnant with her first child. Now she enjoys a high profile as a retired athlete and aims to use her success to buoy the cause of less privileged members of society.

She was named a Paralympic Ambassador by BHP Billiton in November and has been nominated as a torch bearer for the Beijing Games. She also serves as chairperson of the Blind Persons Association under the Federation of Disabled Persons in Beijing's Haidian District.

If she gets to run in the relay, she may be joined by Lucky - a 19-month-old golden retriever who is part of the first batch of five guide dogs to ever hit Chinese shores.

The press coverage from this could also help her cause.

"I hope to provide massage services to the Beijing Olympics," she said, adding that she culled some useful lessons from her time with Billiton, the world's largest diversified natural resources company.

"I believe hosting the Paralympic Games is a golden opportunity for people with a disability in Beijing to improve their services."

Ping Yali

Born: 1961, Beijing

Disability: Congenital blindness registering 0.05 vision in both eyes

1973: Began training in several athletics events

1987: Retired

1994: Lit the torch at the 6th Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled

2001: Founded "Ping Yali" traditional Chinese massage parlors

Career highlights:

Gold medal in the B2 long jump at the 1984 Paralympic Games in New York

Bronze medal in the 100m at the same Paralympics

Total of 17 medals at the National Games for the Disabled, and the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled, from 1982 to 1987