Love of snow and ice keeps disabled athlete on his skis

X Games fan takes wheelchair to slopes and is teaching others to do the same

Of the many events held as part of the X Games－an annual world extreme sports event－Zhong Chengzhan likes skiing the most, despite having lost the use of both legs in a skiing accident in North China's Hebei province some nine years ago.

"Skiing in a wheelchair, which requires greater core strength, was a challenge after my legs were broken," he said.

Before the accident in 2013, which left him with paraplegia of the upper limbs, Zhong was a committed X Games fan and was already involved in activities such as snowboarding, bicycle climbing, paragliding and nautical sports.

He's also the owner of Kailas, a climbing apparel and equipment company he founded in 2003 that is a household name to outdoor enthusiasts worldwide.

Zhong's passion for the X Games grew out of his love for snow and ice, which he first developed on a cycling trip from Sichuan province to the Tibet autonomous region when he was 21.

"I saw the Kunlun Mountains covered in snow and such wonderful scenery, the sparkling whiteness gave me a love for ice and snow, and eventually for skiing," he said.

After his accident, Zhong continued to ski and discovered that there were still many sports people with disabilities could do.

In 2015, he traveled to Austria to learn how to ski in a wheelchair.

"My family knew me well, and they encouraged me to get back into sports after losing my legs," he said.

He visited a number of resorts in Australia, New Zealand and Germany for training over the following two years, which helped him master the skills he'd need to ski in a wheelchair. "I failed dozens of times at the beginning. Skiing in a wheelchair really hurts physically and mentally," he said.

His persistence paid off. Zhong took fifth place in the National Disabled Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding Champions in January 2018.

"People with disabilities should go outside more often, to enjoy life and sports," he said.

The 44-year-old plans to organize a grassroots ski team of disabled people and hopes to encourage more people to join. "I began to pay greater attention to ways to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, after I became one myself," said Zhong, who added that the quality of life for people with disabilities is greatly reduced, and not just in terms of sports.

"I came up with the idea of organizing a ski team after making my return to the sport. As long as people are willing to learn, I will provide free equipment and training."

As his skill as a wheelchair skier improved, Zhong set up another company in 2014 to focus on the design, research and production of wheelchairs, helping to fill a gap in the domestic production of high-end wheelchairs.

"With their customized and advanced designs, our chairs help more people participate in sports," he said, adding that a good wheelchair is a little bit like having a second pair of feet. "A wheelchair should be able to move faster, be stable and safe to allow people to pursue to their love of life and sports."

With the conclusion of the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games on Sunday, Zhong feels the improvement of sports facilities and equipment will encourage more people with disabilities to participate in parasports.

Sports development for people with disabilities has taken a sharp upturn in China in recent years, with the participation in cultural and sporting activities increasing from 6.8 percent in 2015 to 23.9 percent in 2021, according to a white paper on national progress in parasports released by the State Council, China's Cabinet, earlier this month.