Twenty-one-year-old Li Zixuan, a paraplegic young woman from East China's Shandong Province, poses for a photo after summiting Huashan Mountain's 2,000-plus-meter South Peak on June 8, 2026. Photo: Screenshot from Dahe Daily

"I cannot traverse the magnificent landscapes of our motherland on my own two legs, yet I can measure every mountain path with my hands — and I can still climb peaks." On Monday morning, after four grueling days and three nights of hauling herself upward, 21-year-old Li Zixuan, a paraplegic young woman from East China's Shandong Province, summited Huashan Mountain's 2,000-plus-meter South Peak, touching hearts nationwide.

According to Dahe Daily, a media outlet affiliated with Henan Daily, a horrific car accident when Li was 8 years old claimed her father's life and left her paralyzed from the waist down. Li's father had loved taking her hiking, and the pair left footprints all over local mountains. 

After the crash, Li never regained the ability to stand — but she made up her mind: She would revisit every mountain they had climbed, pulling herself up using only her hands.

In October 2025, she spent 55 hours scaling Mount Tai in Tai'an, East China's Shandong Province, unaided with her bare hands, making her the first person in China with high-level paraplegia to complete the feat alone. Her recent hike up Huashan Mountain proved far more grueling than she anticipated.

Li set off from the foot of Huashan at 4 pm on June 5. Over those four days and three nights, she barely stopped to rest, continuing her ascent after dark whenever the rain held off. By the third day, her body had hit its breaking point. "I could barely lift myself off my makeshift rest spot when I woke up that morning," she said. Still, an unshakable resolve drove her forward: She was determined to reach the summit of South Peak.

Upon reaching the summit, she pulled out a faded old photograph — the only picture she had ever taken with her father as a little girl. Facing the camera, Li spoke softly as if speaking directly to her father: "Dad, I can still climb mountains. I can take good care of myself. Please don't forget me up there."

When asked about her next goal, Li answered without a moment's hesitation: She plans to tackle Mount Song in Central China's Henan Province within three months. "I'm going to climb all Five Sacred Mountains, one after another."

According to Dahe Daily, Li is also a competitive para-athlete, training in weightlifting and shot put with the ultimate dream of competing at the Paralympic Games. "I want the world to understand that a physical disability can never cage a free spirit."

Netizens left comments filled with admiration and emotion. One netizen wrote: "With such willpower and drive, no hardship can ever defeat you. May you stay resilient forever and good luck."

Global Times