‘One armed runner’ Loh Chee Khoon has a never-say-die attitude
Disabled software designer seeks adventure
PETALING JAYA: He felt life was “limited” having to wear a fake arm.
Loh Chee Khoon was born with only one arm. To make movements easier, his family fitted him with a prosthetic.
However, he secretly took it off when he was a teenager.
Being born with one hand was not a barrier for him, he said. Ironically, the fake arm was.
“I decided to not to wear the fake hand at the age of 18.
“I kept this secret from my parents but it was later revealed weeks later after they saw me without the arm on social media.
“My mother asked why I was not wearing it. I said it was due to the hot weather as I need to wear long sleeve shirts with the fake arm and that it was heavy.
“When I first removed it, I was afraid to look at people. I only looked down when walking.
“But after some time my father accepted my decision and I adapted,” he told mStar Online.
Loh, 30, takes part in marathons, swimming, kayaking to climbing. He has even done weightlifting.
These fitness activities saw his weight drop to 57kg from 80kg (due to a poor diet).
The youngest of four siblings, Loh said he started doing outdoor activities such as marathons and spartan races when he was 22.
He admires Nick Vujicic, a famous motivational speaker from Australia who lives a full life despite being born with no arms and legs.
In December, Loh, also known as the ‘one armed runner’, participated in a hike up Mount Kinabalu to further challenge himself.
But this software designer did not reach the peak, and could only “land” in Laban Rata, only a few kilometres away, due to acute altitude sickness.
“I was disappointed not to have reached the mountain top, but I will be back to conquer Mount Kinabalu,” said the multimedia graduate from the Multimedia University Malaysia.
“What I learned is that we will not succeed every time. There are times when we will fall.
“But what’s more important is not to give up and keep trying until we succeed,” he said.