One-legged Chinese student wins hearts of schoolmates and nation after 1,000m ‘run’
- Gao Yanneng clocks three minutes and 50 seconds for a physical examination he was not required to complete
- Teachers and principal of Majie No 1 Middle School in Luoping County extremely proud of the teenager
A one-legged secondary Chinese student has won the hearts of his classmates and the nation after “running” 1,000m as part of his school entrance examinations. And he ran around his school track in a competitive time too.
Gao Yanneng, 17, insisted on “running” using his crutches despite being advised by teachers that he had already achieved enough points to pass the entrance exam.
A fitness test is required for able-bodied students who want to achieve the highest marks in their exams and Gao, who had already passed his written exams with ease, needn’t have gone through any physical tests to gain entrance to Majie No 1 Middle School in Luoping County in Yunnan province.
According to yn.people.cm.cn, the disabled student said last week that “persistence” drove him to achieve “perfect” marks as he clocked a highly respectable time of three minutes and 50 seconds for the 1,000m – the fastest time from his group.
Gao insisted on completing all his physical exams – he had already performed sit-ups, pull ups and even played volleyball in the morning – even though disabled students are exempt.
Gao’s teacher was one of the first to congratulate her student on WeChat, saying of all her students she was most proud of Gao. She attached a video of him running, which has since gone viral in China.
‘Today, a special student took part in the sports entrance exams and completed all the competitions. He has shone with brilliance and showed tenacity and fighting spirit and strong will. He interprets the meaning and value of life,” she said. “The exam invigilator has decided to make an exemption and give him full marks for the physical exam.”
The school principal, Wang Qiaogang, was also impressed with the feat and so were Gao’s schoolmates, who donated more than 1,000 yuan to the runner. Gao, meanwhile, didn’t tell his parents about his achievement. “I’ll tell them later,” he said.
Gao lives in Gegang village in Luoping country and comes from a poor family.
The youngest of four brothers and sisters in his family, the teenager lost his leg through amputation after a fall at home when he was about six years old. Because his family was poor, he was only treated with herbs. His condition worsened until doctors had no choice but to amputate his right leg.
“When I ran, I was able to keep up with it and I showed my persistence in the end. That’s very good. I don’t think I am much different from other people,” said Gao, who was cheered on by his schoolmates during his extraordinary run.
