Athlete in wheelchair ready for next challenge
XI'AN-Staring straight ahead, puffing out his cheeks while spinning his wheelchair toward the finish line, 58-year-old Guo Guangdong attracted a lot of attention along the 2020 Xi'an Marathon route. Nobody knew who the man in the yellow T-shirt was, but everyone was cheering for him, "A16560! Go get it!"A16560 was the number on his running bib.
Guo finished the race in a time of 3:17:21 but he was not satisfied with the result. The next day, Guo started his daily marathon training as usual.
Without any coach or supervisor, Guo treats his hobby seriously and always wants to challenge himself to make the best of it. At 6 am sharp every day, nothing can stop Guo from going for a 15-kilometer training stint."This is how I get along with myself after being physically disabled," Guo says.
Nineteen years ago, Guo encountered bad weather while flying a paraglider and ended up crashing into a mountain, leaving him paralyzed and unable to feel anything from the waist down.
It was truly devastating, but Guo managed to hold up. "I know that I won't be able to stand again. It's the reality," says Guo. "Life goes on no matter what happens. You'll have to learn to live with it and move on with strength."