Luanchuan County Special Education School, a school for children with disabilities located deep
in Funiu Mountains in central China’s Henan province, has brought students the opportunity to
enjoy a better life by introducing ice and snow sports.
Students in the special education school in Luanchuan county, Luoyang, Henan province, suffer
from various types of disabilities. Some of them are deaf-mute children, children with cerebral
palsy, autism and Down’s syndrome.
Since 2019, when the school started to provide winter sports training, more than 30 children from
the school have won over 60 medals in a good number of national competitions. Five students of
the school will compete at the 12th Special Olympics World Winter Games to be held in Kazan,
Russia.
“Skiing is fun, because you can glide so fast that it’s like you are flying in the sky like a bird,” said
a member of the cross-country skiing team of the school.
From crying “help” and “this is impossible” to being able to ski on his own and then claiming
silver in national competition, Lou Jiayuan, an autistic student in Luanchuan County Special
Education School, has finally found his stage through winter sports.
Zhang Jiayi, a deaf-mute girl who loves skiing, becomes excited whenever she talks about the
sport. She is eager to take part in competitions, Zhang said in sign language.
Ice and snow sports have helped these disabled children regain confidence, and their passion for
winter sports has made them stronger.
To these children, winter sports are not only hobbies, but rather a door that leads to a bigger world
and a better life.
It doesn’t take a genius to imagine just how hard it is for children of this special education school
to pursue their dreams in winter sports. Thanks to those who have made things that once seemed
impossible possible for these children, they are now enjoying the journey toward their dreams.
In 2015, Beijing won the bid to host the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which
spurred a new wave of winter sports in various parts of China, including the mountainous area
where these disabled children live and study.
Luanchuan County Special Education School encountered numerous difficulties when it first tried
to teach students winter sports. It had neither professional coaches nor sufficient facilities.
However, instead of giving up, teachers and parents have made every effort to overcome these
difficulties.
With the efforts of various parties, the school hired professional coaches and built ski course for
cross-country skiing training and venue for floor curling training. Since it’s more difficult for
children with disabilities to understand and learn than able-bodied children, their coaches always
demonstrate movements to them time after time with great patience.
It’s the support from their parents, the painstaking efforts made by their school, and the loving
care from the society that enabled children of the school to truly understand the charm of ice and
snow sports.
As they practice hard for their dreams and become their better selves, children of the school,
through outstanding performance and their stories of self-improvement, show the world that
though they are imperfect, they can find a way to shine. At the same time, these children have
made more people pay attention to children like them.
On their journey toward dreams inspired by ice and snow sports, these children are turning from
dream chasers to role models. Winter sports have not only made them more confident, but enabled
them to encourage and inspire more people with their experience.
“Life hasn’t been perfect for them, but they look beautiful when they try hard for dreams,” a
netizen commented after reading their stories.
Besides Luanchuan county, such heartwarming stories are also taking place in many other parts of
the country.
Last year, 4,484 athletes competed at the 11th National Games for Persons with Disabilities & the
eighth National Special Olympic Games held in northwest China’s Shaanxi province, breaking 36
world records in events including shooting, archery, and swimming, and setting 179 new national
records.
Today, by taking part in sports competitions, more and more people with disabilities have
experienced the charm of sports activities, enjoyed better physical and mental health, and further
integrated themselves into social development.
China, which is home to 85 million people with disabilities, has been trying to help these people
find ways to unlock their strengths and live a better life. The country believes that sports is a
bridge that brings people with disabilities and the able-bodied closer, and that by pooling more
love and strength, it can help more disabled people enjoy a more wonderful life.
