Taking the high road to adventure

Recuperation process

The journey was meant to be another step on the recuperation process he started after losing his right leg in 2012, when he accidentally touched a high-voltage power line.

The injury beat him down, leaving him isolated, despairing and in pain as he struggled through two years of recuperation. With the guidance and encouragement of his parents and friends, Zhang slowly walked himself out of the slump.

In 2014, he regained his love for swimming and joined a disabled team. In 2018, he won the gold medal in the 100 meter backstroke at the 11th Yunnan Provincial Paralympic Games. In June 2019, he decided to open a training class in his hometown after retiring from competitive swimming.

In September 2020, Zhang rode a bicycle to Tibet. The 32-day journey was inspired by Guo Shaoyu, who lost an arm and a leg in an accident but still biked around China.

"I learned about Guo's story in 2017, so I thought I could also ride a bike to Lhasa. The seed was buried in my mind until 2020, when the COVID-19 outbreak stopped me from teaching swimming. I decided to challenge myself and achieve my dream. I saw scenery I had never seen before and conquered challenges I had never met before," he said.