Determined student stays in the running

Luo Wencong, a blind student in his final year at Beijing Union University’s Special Education College, is proof that people with disabilities can enjoy sports just as much as anyone else.

The student, who loves to run in his spare time, said, “Some people ask me why, as a blind person, I persevere with my running. My answer is: ‘Why not?’ We blind people do sports like others to keep healthy. I generally run 5 kilometers on the treadmill each day. It is always good to lose weight, build muscle, and keep in shape.”

Luo does not need help in running on the treadmill, but he has difficulty reading the figures that show how far he has run. This is when he calls for help, mostly from his classmates who have other disabilities, but whose eyesight is good.

Some blind people have even run marathons. He Yajun, 42, had a high fever when he was 10 that led to him becoming totally blind five years later. Despite his difficulties, he went to college, obtained his degree, and opened a blind massage company in Beijing.

In addition to running the business, in 2014, He founded a volunteer group that helps the blind and visually impaired take part in running.

The group also comprises sighted members, as blind runners need such volunteers to act as guides running alongside them. They train together and communicate with each other via earphones.

In 2019, He organized volunteers and blind runners to compete in a marathon in Qinhuangdao city, Hebei province, finishing the race in 3 hours, 38 minutes.

Last year, He and two other blind runners joined the Hangzhou marathon in Zhejiang province, where the number of volunteers grew to 25.