For the first time in two weeks, 66-year-old Liu Guizhi in Dalian, Liaoning Province, had the heavy worry lifted from her heart yesterday afternoon, when she finally heard the phone ring and her second son, Xie Yanhong, himself call her to reassure her that he was fine.

Xie Yanhong

Xie successfully swam across the English Channel over the weekend from Dover, in England, to Calais, in France. He is the first disabled person in the world to have swum across the channel, a total distance of 32 kilometres, and will now be on the tongue of every sports enthusiast in China.

"I learned from the local disabled persons' federation on Sunday afternoon that he had succeeded. And I know the first thing he said on getting out of water was that he hoped I was proud of him. But hearing his voice was another thing," the retired doctor said in a voice a little choked with excitement.

Xie flew to Dover on August 11. Except for a call right after his arrival, he was out of contact with his family. He even refused to receive calls from them because, in the words of one of the persons accompanying him, he did not want to be distracted.

If it had not been for the generous support of the Dalian municipal government, the swim, which cost over 200,000 yuan (US$24,154), would have been beyond the reach of an ordinary Chinese disabled person.

Suffering from a severe congenital malformation of his legs, Xie can only walk slowly with the help of crutches. But things are completely different for him in water, where he enjoys a much greater freedom.

"I do not know when or how he learned to swim. It must have been behind my back, because I forbade him to swim, because of the danger," Liu said.

But she eventually relented, when she saw that swimming was the only thing in his life that kept him from being depressed, after being rejected by colleges because of his physical defect.

"We have tried to find him a job or help him start a small business, but nothing appeals to him except swimming," said Liu. She could not remember exactly when she began to spend all of her income to support his swimming training and the cost of travelling to competitions. What she does recall is her tears and the dedication of her son.

Liu said she never imagined that the son who brought her the most worry would become her greatest pride.

(China Daily 08/26/2003 page2)

Close

Today's Top News		Top Lifestyle News
+National economy faces a string of challenges ( 2003-08-26) +Delegations arrive for six-party talks ( 2003-08-26) +China condemns Japanese landing on Diaoyu islands ( 2003-08-26) +Official vows to defend nation's health ( 2003-08-26) +Comment: Lessons from loss of life ( 2003-08-26)		+Disabled man conquers Channel ( 2003-08-26) +East meets West in musical score ( 2003-08-26) +Green legacy of a Tibetan village ( 2003-08-26) +Different retirement ages for men and women questioned ( 2003-08-25) +Doing away with duplication ( 2003-08-25)