Triumph of the spirit

Adaptive sports

Sun has also explored her potential in sports. In October, she participated in the 11th National Games for Persons with Disabilities in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, winning two gold medals in table tennis－doubles and team, respectively.

She started to play table tennis about two years ago, practicing one to two hours every day. As her fingers have little gripping power, she has to learn the sport from scratch, with a bat tied to her hand. It took her about half a year to master the technique of serving. It's difficult to keep her body balance when she raises her arm to serve, because she can't move waist downward.

She keeps the daily habit of playing table tennis, hoping that she can join the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

Also, she has learned how to swim while wearing buoys. She went surfing in Sanya, Hainan province, and had a breathtaking paragliding flight in Luoyang.

It's all because of the help of volunteers from "Krankin' thru China", a campaign to help physically challenged people engage in adaptive sports so that they can reintegrate into society. It was founded in 2013 by Joshua Dominick, a US citizen who lives in Beijing, together with his friends.

A professional coach and Sun had the paragliding flight together, and she enjoyed a bird's-eye view of the fields.

"It was so exciting, like being in a roadster in the sky, with wind blowing by my ears. I suddenly felt that my life could have possibilities. It was really good to be alive," she says.

The authorities recently unveiled a guidance to promote the construction of a certification system for a barrier-free environment in sectors such as roads, public transport and public service facilities. Although the barrier-free environment in China is developing, especially in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, Sun says she finds the need for improvement in smaller cities.

She says it's not that easy for people in wheelchairs to go out. For example, in some places, it's difficult to find a barrier-free lavatory that functions properly.

Once she found one that was stacked with cleaning equipment. Only four- or five-star hotels in China have barrier-free guest rooms and she calls them in advance to make a reservation.

More importantly, she has to ensure whether a hotel has a barrier-free ramp at the main entrance and an elevator in the hall before booking.

"It's important for people in wheelchairs to go out. I used to be embarrassed by others' staring at my wheelchair. It's time for me to change my mentality. Also, the books that I read and the road that I travel have brought me self-confidence."

Contact the writer at xulin@chinadaily.com.cn