A one-armed man's life story
0 
Huashan Mountain, in Shaanxi Province, is one of the steepest peaks in China at 2,154.9 meters. He Tianwu has climbed Huashan more than 3,000 times in the past decade. He is a bearer, transporting goods up the slopes on his back, for a living. But He, who is 48, is most noted for his disability: He has only one arm.
 |
|
He Tianwu, who only has one arm, carries goods up the Huashan Mountain, one of China's tallest peaks, for a living. |
He lost his left arm in an accident in 1992, at the coal mine where he had worked for three years after his wife died. With two young children and parents to care for, He was working overtime that day when a pulley brake failed. He then had a series of failures in other jobs. He opened a store, but it went bankrupt from too many credit sales. He tried to carry ore for a local company but couldn't earn much money. Despite his hard work, He was left with nothing but debts.
Then He heard about bearers for Huashan Mountain from a friend and thought it would be an ideal job. He traveled north to the mountain and began his new career in 2000.
His first job was to carry 30 kilograms of goods to High Ladder, a bold cliff on the mountain. He had a companion who quit mid-way, but He finished his job with severe pain in his knees. But as He gained experience through the years, he has developed his own technique for climbing the mountain. He pinches a walking stick with two fingers and clutches the iron chain with his other three.
Now, He carries 60 kilograms of goods up the mountain every day – 1 kilogram more than his own body weight. Moreover, he makes three to four trips each day to and from Azure Dragon Ridge, one of the most dangerous hikes. In the winter, the trips are much riskier because hands are too frozen to grip the chain.
"I watch each step very carefully and have never had any accident in the past 10 years," He said.
Being a bearer is a tiresome and dull job in many people's minds, but He enjoys himself a lot. He appreciates and remembers the calligraphy carved in the rocks and copies them when he returns home. His favorite one is, "Though heavy snow falls down on verdant pines, the pines still stand straight."
 |
|
He Tianwu, who only has one arm, carries goods up the Huashan Mountain, one of China's tallest peaks, for a living. |
"I love Huashan Mountain," He said. "I'm really happy when I breathe the fresh air on the top. I'd like to stay here because the mountain pays my hard work back."
He plans to work at Huashan for at least another 10 years. His brother lost his job after breaking his legs, so now He also pays for his nephew's tuition and living costs.
"I don't lament for my past days and will not fear the future," He said.
The painstaking job has given He a strong heart and lungs. "Some tourists said I seem to be in my thirties," He said.
After watching the Paralympic Games in Athens in 2004, He decided to participate in a long-distance run. With only a month of training, He won the gold medal in a 5,000-meter race at the 6th Shaanxi Province Paralympics in 2009. He also took silver in a 1,500-meter race.
Go to Forum >>0 Comments