One-legged man cycles 2,800 km to reach Mount Qomolangma

Sun Youzhi on his cycling tour. [Photo/IC]

Most cyclists quit halfway due to harsh road and weather conditions. Only four arrived in Lhasa including Sun, though he did not feel well and coughed constantly.

The situation gets even tougher on Aug 3. A companion's bicycle was broken and he chose to take a bus to his destination. Sun and the other two cycled 100 kilometers upward on the Mila Mountain at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters above sea level, when their bicycle wheels became flat, and there were still mountains they needed to climb.

Sun said there were many road renovations on the way. Sometimes the road was bad with mud and they had to push their bicycles, and sometimes the road was too narrow to accomodate many vehicles so they rode in fear.

"I felt that I cycled uphill all the way and I was more tired by using one leg", said Sun, "I thought about quitting halfway but held on it because of courage from my team members."

On Aug 6, covering 2,800 kilometers and crossing 21 mountains, they finally arrived at the base camp of Mount Qomolangma at an altitude of 5,200 meters above sea level. During the journey, each of them generally spent 100 yuan ($15) a day on food and lodging.

Sun and his wife now run two hostels, one in Hulunbuir, Northwest China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region and the other in Haikou, Hainan province. They have a nine-month-old daughter.

Sun said he wants to take a long journey every year. When his daughter grows up, he plans to take his wife and daughter traveling around the world.

"To challenge myself, to challenge life, to challenge the limits, and prove that nothing is impossible to a willing mind. I want to be a role model to my daughter," said Sun.