Recently, Ma Mingtao, an armless young man from Yangxin County, has been selected for the national para-cross-country skiing team to participate in training for the sport and prepare for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympic Games in South Korea. He is the only athlete with disabilities from Shandong Province to be selected.
Ma Mingtao is from Yangxin County. At the age of 11, he lost both arms in an electric shock accident. Through remarkable perseverance and a longing for a better life, Ma learned to brush his teeth, wash clothes, cook, and ride a bicycle, achieving self-sufficiency in daily life. He also learned to write and draw, and enjoys playing football and badminton. Passionate about long-distance running, he uses it to build endurance and willpower, and to prove his own value. In recent years, he has achieved top two results in mountain climbing competitions and marathons. During his university years, he won 8 national-level gold medals and over 30 medals in total, as well as 5 gold and 1 silver medal in the Shandong Provincial University Track and Field Championships. In August this year, the results of the 2015 "Dazhong Press Cup" Shandong Top Ten Outstanding University Students selection, organized by the Shandong Provincial Committee of Higher Education Working Committee and Dazhong Newspaper Group, were announced, and Ma Mingtao from Yangxin was named one of the Shandong Top Ten Outstanding University Students. He has also been awarded titles such as National Self-Improvement Star and National Outstanding League Member, showcasing the positive spirit of Yangxin students and living an exceptionally inspiring life without arms.
This 25-year-old young man, Ma Mingtao, is not satisfied with his current achievements. His sights are set on the 2018 Paralympic Games, and his greatest dream is to stand on the Paralympic podium and bring glory to his country with his “invisible wings”!