In the 1980s, her story became a living legend: She moved forward in a wheelchair, yet she accomplished the extraordinary—translating documents from four languages and treating tens of thousands of patients.
On the evening of March 17, 1983, nearly 200 million people across China tuned in to the live broadcast of Zhang Haidi’s heroic story on CCTV. From that moment on, the name Zhang Haidi resonated deeply, inspiring millions of youth and countless future generations.
On February 21, 2022, the Chinese Sports Delegation was established in Beijing for the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics—and the delegation leader was none other than Zhang Haidi, chair of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation.
When a name so familiar to all resurfaces in our vision, we feel both familiarity and affinity. We know so much about her—the spiritual strength she has given us is deeply embedded in our hearts. Yet our understanding often remains solely within the prison of her moving words and the encouragement and inspiration she offered. And yet, this shining figure has endured countless challenges.
Born in Jinan, Shandong, Zhang Haidi developed a spinal vascular malformation at just five years old. Over the next four years, she underwent three major operations—six vertebral plates were removed, leaving long overlapping surgical scars on her back. Though saved, she was left paralyzed high on her spinal cord.
Doctors agreed that, like other patients with high-level paralysis, she was unlikely to live past 27. But within that weakened body stood an indomitable spirit—and through sheer will, she remained at her post to this day.
Fifteen years old and determined to find life’s meaning, she moved with her parents to a poor mountain village in Xinxian, Liaocheng. A local carpenter made her a wooden wheelchair. Village children pushed her out into green fields, where she first glimpsed blue skies and radiant sunshine—treasured memories for a lifetime.
There, she taught the village children and began teaching herself medical skills. She practiced acupuncture on herself to learn sensation, then treated over ten thousand villagers for free. Her generosity won heartfelt praise.
Simultaneously, she pursued her education by correspondence—finishing primary, secondary, and university courses on her own. She studied English, Japanese, and German and translated nearly 200,000 words of foreign literature and materials.
“I didn’t have toys or a radio,” she later recalled. “I was so hungry for learning, for reading.” She added, “I wasn’t studying for a degree—I wanted to explore life’s meaning through philosophy.”
While pursuing her master’s degree in philosophy at Jilin University, she meticulously examined every subject, revised every thesis, tackled every recommended book, and completed her defense on time. Why? Because, she said simply, “I can endure pain.”
In 1985, she began writing her first novel, Dreams on a Wheelchair. But prolonged sitting inflicted pressure sores; her right arm, used to support her posture, developed vascular damage, leading to severe disability.
Several years later, fate struck again. Diagnosed with nasal cancer at age 36, she faced surgery without anesthesia to avoid spreading the cancer—her sixth major operation. More than 40 stitches were placed on the small area of her nose without painkillers. She didn’t cry out once—“because I can withstand the world’s most unbearable pain.”
This young woman—whom doctors doubted would survive past 27—shattered their predictions with unwavering will. For her, living meant serving society; the ultimate meaning of life lay in spiritual pursuit.
Known as “China’s Pavel” (a reference to the Soviet hero), she fought illness and hardship with unbreakable resolve. Her fervor for study and work answered youth’s uncertainties about life and values. She taught us to “never be a bystander to life’s boiling cauldron.”
She now lights the path for better living for persons with disabilities. She is both a role model and a tireless advocate—bringing warmth and hope to countless disabled people. She visits impoverished areas regularly, listens to disabled citizens’ voices, and helps solve their problems.
Someone once asked, “Why should disabled people participate in the games?” She replied with a memory from her visit to Zhangjiakou’s Yunding training base: “I saw athletes in red, green, yellow suits racing down snowy slopes. Some had one leg; some had none—but all wore confident smiles. They shouted, ‘Aunt Haidi, we are not afraid of hardship or fatigue—we will win glory for our country!’ From afar, dots of color on white snow looked like flickering flames. The Winter Paralympics will ignite everyone’s passion.” That was her gentle and resolute answer.
Her pursuit is a beacon beaming hope—an inspiration for generations of youth. When we’re curious about the qualities that make her so admirable, one line from “Fellow Generation, Please Answer” offers insight:
“Pursuit—a drunken, obsessive, almost maddening chase.”
She attracts young people like a magnet because they see their own passions mirrored in her relentless pursuit of knowledge and life’s truth. Life’s meaning lies in contribution. She gave her light and warmth to the people, inspiring countless youth to fight on.
Zhang Haidi, vibrant and energetic in her youth, embodies an unwavering spirit of pursuit. Keep pursuing, keep loving—life never ends, our climb never ceases.
