According to an official release, Lan was critically injured during the 1998 Goodwill Games, cutting short her athletic career, as she was paralysed from the neck down. However, her spirit and smile earned her respect as People and Life magazines named her "Hero of the year". Upon her return to China, she was invited as a VIP to the fifth China Special Games and became a key representative for China's bid for 2008 Olympic Games.

Sang Lan's new show is currently at the pre-production stage and plans to commence broadcasting early next year exclusively on Xing Kong Wei Shi.