He Xiaoman conducts a training session at a training base of Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Sept. 9, 2026. He Xiaoman, born in 2006, is a student from Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College. She is the only female competitor in the rail vehicle technology event at the upcoming 48th WorldSkills Competition.
Enrolled in 2024, she was selected into the school's special training class for elite students just three months later. Since then she has started a life with intensive training, disassembling and adjusting hundreds of precision components from 7 a.m. to late in the night. "I have never been the most talented. It's all about consistent daily practice," He said.
The rail vehicle technology event will make its debut as an official competition category at this year's competition. Its 18-hour contest will pose a rigorous test on competitors' physical endurance, operational precision and stress resistance.
To make up for physical gap between herself and male competitors in handling heavy vehicle components, He has designed targeted strength training plans and developed a set of personalized operation methods, leveraging her delicate and precise techniques to offset her disadvantages in physical strength.
"Women's carefulness and patience are our strengths in precision maintenance and fault detection. I want to prove on the international stage that girls can also excel in engineering fields, and inspire more people to join the rail vehicle industry," He said. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)
He Xiaoman conducts a training session at a training base of Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Sept. 9, 2026. He Xiaoman, born in 2006, is a student from Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College. She is the only female competitor in the rail vehicle technology event at the upcoming 48th WorldSkills Competition. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)
He Xiaoman conducts a training session at a training base of Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Sept. 9, 2026. He Xiaoman, born in 2006, is a student from Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College. She is the only female competitor in the rail vehicle technology event at the upcoming 48th WorldSkills Competition. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)
He Xiaoman adjusts her tools for the upcoming 48th WorldSkills Competition at a training base of Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Sept. 9, 2026. He Xiaoman, born in 2006, is a student from Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College. She is the only female competitor in the rail vehicle technology event at the upcoming 48th WorldSkills Competition. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)
He Xiaoman (L) conducts upper-body strength training at Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Sept. 9, 2026. He Xiaoman, born in 2006, is a student from Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College. She is the only female competitor in the rail vehicle technology event at the upcoming 48th WorldSkills Competition. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)
He Xiaoman conducts a training session at a training base of Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Sept. 9, 2026. He Xiaoman, born in 2006, is a student from Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College. She is the only female competitor in the rail vehicle technology event at the upcoming 48th WorldSkills Competition. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)
He Xiaoman conducts a training session at a training base of Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Sept. 9, 2026. He Xiaoman, born in 2006, is a student from Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College. She is the only female competitor in the rail vehicle technology event at the upcoming 48th WorldSkills Competition. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)
He Xiaoman conducts a training session at a training base of Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Sept. 9, 2026. He Xiaoman, born in 2006, is a student from Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College. She is the only female competitor in the rail vehicle technology event at the upcoming 48th WorldSkills Competition. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)
This photo taken on Sept. 9, 2026 shows a portrait of He Xiaoman at a training base of Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province. He Xiaoman, born in 2006, is a student from Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College. She is the only female competitor in the rail vehicle technology event at the upcoming 48th WorldSkills Competition. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)
He Xiaoman conducts a training session at a training base of Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Sept. 9, 2026. He Xiaoman, born in 2006, is a student from Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College. She is the only female competitor in the rail vehicle technology event at the upcoming 48th WorldSkills Competition. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)
He Xiaoman (L) and her coach prepare for the upcoming 48th WorldSkills Competition at a training base of Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Sept. 9, 2026. He Xiaoman, born in 2006, is a student from Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College. She is the only female competitor in the rail vehicle technology event at the upcoming 48th WorldSkills Competition. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)
He Xiaoman conducts a training session at a training base of Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Sept. 9, 2026. He Xiaoman, born in 2006, is a student from Changchun Digital Technology Vocational College. She is the only female competitor in the rail vehicle technology event at the upcoming 48th WorldSkills Competition. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)
