Dai Guohong was stuck under the rubble for two days after a magnitude-8 earthquake struck Sichuan in 2008. Dai struggled to make sense of his loss. But to the surprise of perhaps even himself, he started a second life, in water. Little did he know that he was going to become a professional para-swimming athlete, win 9 national championship titles and break a national record in the 100 meters breaststroke in 2014. News reports hail him as a hero, a symbol of resilience for those affected by the disaster.