ByGeLijun
CaoShengkanglosthiseyesightinacaraccidentagedeight.Droppingoutofschool,likemanyblindpeopleinChina,Caolearnedtheartofmassageat18,asawaytoearnaliving.At37hehittheroad,ablindbackpackertakingontheworldsolo.Nowthe41-year-old,alwaysseenwithhisdarkglassesandawalkingstick,hastraveledto30countriesonsixcontinents.WiththedesiretochallengehimselfCaohasopenedhishearttotheworld.
Beinguseful
BornineastChina鈥檚AnhuiProvince,Caoshouldhavehadahappychildhoodlikeallotherchildrenhisage,butthecaraccidentbroughtanewreality.Constantbullyingbyhisschoolmatessawhimrunawayfromhomeseveraltimes,forcinghisparentstopullthetormentedboyoutofschool.Afterfailingtofindajob,heevenattemptedsuicide.
鈥淚hadanindomitablespirit,eventhoughIhadexperiencedmanytribulations,andImadeapromisetobeapersonwhoisusefultomyfamilyandsociety,鈥滳aotoldChinAfrica.
LikemanyblindpeopleinChina,Caolearnedmassageasameanstosurvive.Hestillremembersthejoyatreceivinghisfirstsalary.However,despitehisnew-foundsuccess,Caowasstillsearchingforsomethingmore.Atthetime,helistenedtotheradio,andheardaboutthedisabledathleteswhocompetedattheParalympicGames.Thethoughtexcitedhimandhesetaboutmakingpositivechangestohislife.
In2001,CaoarrivedinBeijingandspentthreeyearstakingshort-distancerunningtrainingattheBeijingSportUniversity.Duringthisperiodhesetupasmallmassagebusinesstoearnamodestlivingandspenttherestofhistimetrainingtobeanathlete.Despitetheinevitableinjuriesthatcomewithsports,itwasthehappiesttimeofhislife,Caosaid.HisdeterminationledtoparticipationintheFifthGuangdongProvincialGamesforDisabledPersonsin2006,winningabronzemedalinthe200meterssprint.
Windsurfingwashisnextchallenge.TravelingtoSanya,southChina鈥檚HainanProvince,in2011,CaotrainedwithZhaiMo,awell-knownwindsurfer.Helostcountofthenumberoftimeshewasinjuredintraining.AtthenationalwnidsurfingeventheldinSanyain2012,Caowastheonlydisabledathletewhotookpart.
Journeyofalifetime
Thedesiretobecomeaglobetrotterwasbornafterlosinghissavingsonthestockmarket.HewenttoQinghai,XinjiangandTibettotryandescapethepain.Heremembershearingsoundsofyaksandchantsofmonksontheroadandfoundthetripreleasedhisanxietyandstress,lightingthesparkforwhatwastobecomeanepicsetofjourneys.
Hesetoffforthefirstlegofhis24-dayworldtourafterthewindsurfingexperience,onApril18,2012.ThejourneybeganinLaosandincludedThailand,CambodiaandVietNam.Caocameacrossmanydifficulties,mainlythelanguagebarrierandinsufficientfunds.Hehadonlyabout4,000yuan($635)forthisfirsttrip;yetdespitethesetbackstheexperiencewasenjoyable.
鈥淎mancanliveonlyonce.Ihavealotofplacestovisitandalotofthingstoexperience.That鈥檚thereasonwhyIgotravelandchallengemyselfnonstop,鈥滳aosaid.Hegothelpfromcountlesswarmheartedstrangersandwashappywithfellowtravelers鈥檇escriptionsofthesceneryhepassedthrough.
Aftermuchhardship,joyandlifelessonsintripstoAsia,NorthAmerica,SouthAmerica,OceaniaandEurope,hefinallysetfootinAfrica.
Africanjourney
OnDecember30,2015,CaoleftforAfricafromNewYork,withthefirststopbeingNairobi,thecapitalofKenya.TheexperienceinNairobitotallychangedhispreviousimaginingsofAfrica.鈥淎fricanpeoplewereverykindtome,鈥漢esaid.
DuringtheNewYearholiday,CaoandtwootherChineseoutdoorenthusiastswenttotheMaasaiMaraNationalReserveinKenya.Hewastoldthatlionsandcheetahswerelessthan10metersfromhimbutfeltnofear.Thiswasthefirsttimehehadbeennearzebras,wildebeests,bisons,rhinos,hipposandcrocodiles.
鈥淚heardtheroarofwildanimalsandsmeltthearomaofgrasslands,whichrecalledmymemoryofwatchingAnimalWorld,adocumentarybyChinaCentralTelevsionwhenIwasyoung.FinallyIhadrealizedmydreamtotravelinAfrica,鈥滳aosaid.
VillagersinMaasaiMarawereastonishedwhentheyheardCaowasblind.Inthefollowingdaysthelocalslookedafterforhimandensuredhissafety.
InApril2016,CaotraveledtoZanzibarIslandinTanzania,whichisparticularlymemorabletohim.Duringthetwo-hourboattrip,alocalyouthtookcareofhim,unloadinghisbagswhentheyarrived.
Hishelperrefusedatip,leavingCaoveryimpressed.
鈥淭heyoungmantoldmehedidwhatheshoulddo.HehopedIwouldhelpsomeoneelsewhoneededhelpinthefuture,鈥淐aosaid.
IntheStoneTownofZanzibarIsland,Caotouchedturtlesandranafterdolphins.LeavingTanzania,hewenttoUganda,Ethiopia,MalawiandZambia,whereheexperiencedthemajestyofVictoriaFalls.
鈥淭hatwasmyfirstexperienceofawaterfall.ThoughIgotthoroughlywetIcan鈥檛forgotthehappinessitbroughtme.InsteadofsayingIsawthefalls,Ishouldsaythefallssawme,鈥滳aosaid.
OnarrivinginEthiopia鈥檚capitalAddisAbaba,Caogaveatalkatalocalinternationalhigh-school.Hesharedhisexperiencesandchallengeswiththestudents,tellingthemthatlifewaslikeablankcanvasandeachpersonwasthecreatorofhisownjourney.
鈥淔orme,itisnotaseasyasyouarebecauseIamblind.ButIpaintedwithmyheart.NowIhaverealizedmydreamandIbelieveeveryoneofyoucanalsorealizeyourowndream,鈥滳aosaidtogreatapplause.
WhenaskedhisimpressionofAfricanpeople,herepliedwithouthesitation:enthusiastic,friendlyandkind.
鈥淚willgobacktoAfricainJuly,toclimbMountKilimanjaroinTanzaniaandvisitCapeTowninSouthAfrica.Ifpossible,IalsowanttoreturntoMozambiquetoagainexperienceitspeople鈥檚enthusiasm,鈥滳aosaid.
Whilereflectingonhistravels,CaorecalledhowheonceattendedaMuslimfuneralinTanzania.Therewasnocryingatthefuneral.Itmadehimrethinklifeanddeath.
鈥淟ifeisshortandweneedtochallengeourselves.TravelingaroundtheworldismydreamandIhopemyexperiencecaninfluencemorepeopletochasetheirdreams.ThoughIcan鈥檛seethesceneryonmyjourney,Iamabletovisualizeitbasedonthedescriptionsofothersaroundme.AlthoughIcan鈥檛seetheworld,Iwanttheworldtoseemeclearly.鈥滳A
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CaoShengkangwithMaasaifriendsinKenya