One-legged high jumper: "Never back out, never give up. Life has no limit."

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At the opening ceremony of the 2008 Paralympics, the whole audience applauded the last torch bearer.

Hou Bin was in 2008 Paralympics. Source: Baidu Baike

He was pulling the rope with only the strength of his arms, and climbing higher and higher in his wheelchair. When he reached 39 meters in the air, he finally lit the Paralympic flame. That very exciting moment, perfectly encapsulated the spirit of the Paralympics.

His name is Hou Bin, and he is a high jumper with only one leg.

In 1996, 2000 and 2004, he won the high jumping championships at the Paralympics. His record was a stunning 1.92 meters.

Source: Internet

At the age of nine, Hou lost a leg in a train accident. But he never gave up his dream of becoming an athlete. However, others belittled him – and that made him try even harder.

"In 1992, I saw on TV that disabled athletes were awarded medals. The picture didn't remain," says Hou, "but I kept saying to myself, that I wanted to be the one standing there.”

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Even the best of those normal kids in school could only jump 1.9 meters. Hou then set a goal of 2 meters for himself.

Thus began his tough training. Day after day, he fell a million times. But he'd always get up. Because he had an objective that kept him motivated: "It was my sunshine leading me forward.”

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Finally, at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, Hou broke the world record with a jump of 1.92 meters. In the next two Paralympics, he successfully defended that championship.

Hou retired in 2008. With no challenge ahead of him, he felt like a fish out of water.

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However, with his indomitable spirit, he soon found new targets.

Since 2011, Hou has taken part in the challenge of hiking through the Gobi Desert, which is an almost impossible endeavor, even for the able-bodied.

"A grade 7 dust storm would blow you away in a wink," says Hou. "I could only use my core strength to drag my leg. Even a slight slope would cause pain in my leg. I could barely move forward.”

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His journey became a media sensation. People were moved by his spirit and they showed him their respect in many different ways.

"When the camp was about 50 meters ahead of me, there were two dozen rescue vehicles on both sides. They turned their lights on. Bam! All of them. And they started honking. That moment was wonderful.”

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Hou's son called his prosthetics "the leg of the transformer." Now, as always, he is transforming himself on the road of self-challenge.

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"People should live with their dreams. We should have hopes. We should keep the feet on the ground, and always pursue goals," he said. "Never back out. Never give up. Because life has no limit.”

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The story is one in "The 1.3 Billion" series exploring the diverse lives that make up China.