25-year-old Li Yue is an ordinary employee of a company in Beijing. 14 years ago, at the age of 11, she lost her left leg in the Wenchuan earthquake. In the past 14 years, she has successively participated in the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games and the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics. Olympic closing ceremony performance.
Three months after the Wenchuan earthquake lost his left leg, he dances at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Paralympic Games
On May 12, 2008, when the Wenchuan earthquake occurred, it was time for children to go to class.
Li Yue is a third-grade student in Qushan Town Primary School in Beichuan. Her classroom is on the first floor.
The teaching building collapsed, and she and several classmates were buried in the rubble.
Li Yue:
The wall that pressed my leg was a load-bearing wall. Maybe my leg was necrotic when it was pressed down. I couldn't feel any pain, so I didn't know what condition my leg was in. I didn't realize the seriousness of the situation, and I didn't feel that we couldn't get out. I thought that someone would definitely come to the rescue.
At that time, the teaching building of Qushan Primary School did not collapse completely, but retained the main structure.
While waiting for the rescue, the classmates around Li Yue gradually lost their voices.
When the rescuers arrived, they found that Li Yue's left leg was just pressed under the load-bearing wall. If the load-bearing wall was forcibly removed, it would most likely cause the building to collapse. The rescuers could only choose to save her last.
Time passed by, and Li Yue's legs were necrotic under the pressure.
More than 70 hours later, rescuers rescued Li Yue by amputating her limbs on the spot, but she lost her left leg forever.
Before the earthquake, Li Yue was a girl practicing ballet.
After the earthquake, under the arrangement of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, Li Yue and her mother were transferred to Beijing Boai Hospital for rehabilitation training.
Here, they received an invitation to perform at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.
Li Yue, whose wounds did not heal, began a life of "two points and one line" in the hospital and rehearsal field.
There are no toilets in the rehearsal hall, and you need to go to the next building to use the toilet.
Li Yue could only run up and down with her mother. In fact, Li Yue knew that her tired mother had already been overwhelmed. Until one day, the mother and daughter fell heavily in the toilet together, and Li Yue had the idea of giving up.
Li Yue:
That process was very hard and painful for me.
At that time, my mother accompanied me during the whole rehearsal process. My mother gave me a lot of strength when I wanted to give up and couldn’t hold on.
Not only my family, but also many people influenced me. The dancers I was rehearsing with were all deaf and dumb dancers from the Disabled Art Troupe. They also enlightened me at that time. The attitude of everyone working hard to realize their dreams moved me.
On the evening of September 6, 2008, at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Paralympic Games, Li Yue, wearing a pink and white dress, appeared in a wheelchair.
Under the spotlight, she raised a red dance shoe above her head and then put it on her right foot.
Accompanied by the music, Li Yue danced with both arms, perfectly cooperated with "Ballet Prince" Lv Meng and 100 hearing-impaired dancers from the Disabled Art Troupe to complete the "Never Stop Dance".
Li Yue:
I felt that all my abilities were exuded at that time, and I felt like a dancer on a music box.
Since then, I have also wanted to make some changes. I hope that through my experience after the earthquake, I will spread my experience and methods of how to get out of the predicament to more people in need and give them some strength.
14 years after the earthquake, he healed himself with writing and art and danced the bird's nest again
The wonderful performance at the opening ceremony made Li Yue the focus of attention, but she was not used to facing the media.
She protects herself with silence, even willfulness.
With the help of well-meaning people, Li Yue stayed in Beijing to study.
In 2010, Li Yue wrote a book about her experience called "My Heart Dances Forever".
She held a book signing at the Xidan Book Building in Beijing, and donated all the sales proceeds for earthquake relief in Yushu, Qinghai.
In the following two years, she successively published two books, "Dancing Moon Cardamom" and "Dancing Heart".
While writing about herself, she needs to practice living independently and facing society.
Li Yue:
When I take transportation, others will give me my seat, but I don’t really want to think of myself as special, and I have never regarded myself as a very special existence.
I will feel that I don’t need it, and I will say it’s okay if someone offers up their seat.
Reporter:
If there are family members at home to take care of you and protect you.
Li Yue:
I think I am becoming more and more independent, and I can handle everything by myself. It is impossible for me to grow up under their care all my life.
Healing and growth require a person to quietly accumulate strength. During this process, Li Yue gradually faded out of the public eye.
Like her peers, she focused on her studies. After graduating from Beijing Primary School, she completed middle and high school studies in Beijing No. 15 Middle School, Mianyang Science City No. 1 Middle School, and Renmin University High School Shunyi Branch.
Her dream of being admitted to the Beijing Dance Academy did not come true in the end, but her fate with dance did not end.
In addition to dancing, she fell in love with art and hopes to continue to improve in stage art, illustration, and writing.
After graduation, Li Yue worked in a company that had long supported her.
At the end of 2021, Wang Jing of the China Disabled People's Art Troupe called Li Yue and invited her to perform at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Paralympics.
Unlike 14 years ago, this time, Li Yue made a decision independently.
Li Yue:
I didn't resist this time, I really want to participate.
After 14 years, I went to the Bird's Nest again. I thought why the Bird's Nest suddenly became so small. As soon as I entered the Bird's Nest, I hurried to find the place where I was performing. I instantly recalled that scene in my mind. I even told my friends that I was there at that time. A stage was set up.
I see that everyone's appearance may have changed, but everyone's original aspirations and dreams have never changed, they are all working hard for their dreams.
On the evening of March 13, the closing ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics was staged at the National Stadium.
On the stage that was turned into a huge gramophone, Li Yue sat in a wheelchair and slowly pushed the needle on the gramophone with his companions.
The record turned, and the soft melody drifted away.
For 14 years, this girl who was born to dance has performed her own never-ending dance steps with sensitivity and strength.
Li Yue:
When I was on that stage in 2008, my mood was complicated and mixed with all kinds of emotions. This time I wasn't nervous at all, and I was very calm and enjoying the stage.
Reporter丨Wang Ning