We return with more about the Hangzhou Asian Para games where thousands of disabled athletes from more than 40 countries are expected to compete in the coming days. Chinese para-athletes hold the record for most medals won at previous Games while the second highest tally belongs to South Korea and CGTN's Jack Barton met with a powerlifter hoping to win gold in Hangzhou.

Across South Korea a group of exceptional athletes is on a journey of strength, resilience and determination they hope will end in triumph, as they prepare to represent their nation at the largest ever Asian Para-Games in Hangzhou, China. For most it's been a long journey just to reach this point.

KIM KYU-HO, South Korea National Team Powerlifter "When I was 5 years old, my right lower leg was severed when I was injured in a bus accident. I'm an amputee, so people can't even tell when I'm wearing clothes. However, when I was growing up, I always wore long pants and my parents were conservative it was their way of protecting their child. However, even now, I say that my heart is open, but it is not easy to wear shorts."

Kim Kyu-ho journey as a para-athlete began as part of a rowing team until a trainer spotted his potential in powerlifting. Training as an athlete took an immediate toll on his career in banking, which in turn caused tensions at home.

KIM KYU-HO, South Korea National Team Powerlifter "So, I made a deal with my wife, because I said I would not exercise if I didn't win a gold medal in the 2016 competition. I came late after work and trained every single day, and for the first time in 2016 I won a gold medal at the National Sports Festival for the Disabled, the largest competition in Korea. So, I was recognized by my family and I started to train in powerlifting since that time."

Powerlifting is unique to para games and also one of its fastest growing sports, so it helps that Kim Kyu-ho's coach is also a former champion.

JUNG JAE-SUNG, South Korea National Team Powerlifting Coach "Non-disabled weightlifters exercise using all of their upper and lower bodies in balance, and disabled weightlifters exercise only with their upper bodies, so there is a difference in how to do upper body-focused exercises such as the upper body's trigeminal muscles and shoulders."

Kim Kyung-ho trains at the Icheon Athletes' Village, which can accommodate more than 300 athletes competing in 18 sports. 

JACK BARTON, Icheon, South Korea "This para-athletic center and a myriad of smaller facilities across South Korea stand as a testament to just how seriously the country takes winning gold at events like the Paralympics and the Asian games."

Accommodation at the athletes' village is simple. It may seem like a spartan life, but Kim Kyu-ho says he now has the full support of his family and has never been happier.

KIM KYU-HO, South Korea National Team Powerlifter "My goal is to be the lifter who holds the most in my entire physique. In the case of the Hangzhou Asian Games, my record stand is on the verge of reaching the top class."

Whether they win medals or not, athletes like Kim Kyu-ho have already achieved a victory by elevating public awareness, changing perceptions and in the process changing society. Jack Barton, CGTN, Icheon South Korea.