Passing on the Paralympic spirit

Never give up

Liu and Li's journeys to the top of the podium have been far from easy.

Liu practiced para archery before switching to winter sports, while Li used to be a para swimmer before taking up wheelchair fencing.

"I really want to thank my coaches because they have helped me a lot. Honestly speaking, when I first switched from para archery to winter sports, I did not even have a clue what para biathlon was. It took a while for me to understand what I needed to practice," said Liu.

"Because of my archery background, the shooting in the biathlon was not too difficult for me to pick up. The real challenge was skiing. Initially, I found it very physically demanding."

Li admits there have been times when he felt like throwing in the towel, but over the years has developed an inner steel that gets him through those difficult moments.

"I think all professional athletes face these situations. There can be times when an athlete becomes emotional and thinks about quitting. Especially, when you stick to a sport for too long," said Li, who is already eyeing more glory at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

"During such times, I would tell myself if others can continue to fight for their dreams, then I can. Just think that there are many para athletes who suffered much more serious injuries than I did, and they kept fighting for their dreams. I'm the kind of person that never easily gives up."

The Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics have been widely hailed as a huge success in terms of accessibility thanks to the installation of a comprehensive barrier-free environment.

Liu said that he was deeply impressed by the quality of the facilities because they allowed him to focus fully on competing.

Having experienced the barrier-free facilities at the opening ceremony, wheelchair fencer Li echoed those sentiments, saying: "All these facilities at the Beijing Winter Paralympics were unthinkable for previous generations of para athletes. At domestic or international competitions in the past, they relied on help from people to get around. But actually, most of us don't want help－we prefer to do things by ourselves."