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 called her to reassure that he was
fine.
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 kilometers, and will now be on the tongue of
every sports enthusiast in China.
"I learned from 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.
"He (Xie) had put so much hope into this hard-won opportunity,''
said Liu. "He told me he is very proud, as a Chinese disabled
person, not to have let his comrades down.''
If it were not 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 on land. 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
businesses, 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 traveling
to competitions. What she does recall is her tears and the
dedication of her son's.
Liu said she never imagined that the son who brought her the
most worry would become a world celebrity and her greatest
pride.
Li Yang, a senior official with the Dalian Disabled Persons'
Federation, said Xie would come home at the end of this month. "We
have prepared a grand welcoming ceremony for our hero,'' he
said.
Asked what she would like her son to try next, Liu said if it is
possible, she would like to see him swim across the Taiwan
Straits.
(China Daily August 26, 2003)