Wheelchair Racing

Among the many disabled sports, wheelchair racing is very “special”, more like “running with hands” sports. When the wheels roll at high speed, the sprint speed can reach more than 35km/h.

“This is a sport that embodies speed.” According to Huang Peng, the coach of the Shanghai Wheelchair Racing Team, when good physical fitness is combined with professional skills, amazing endurance and speed will erupt.

The racing wheelchair is different from ordinary wheelchairs. It consists of a front wheel and two rear wheels, and the rear two wheels are in a figure-eight shape. The most special seat will be built according to each person’s physical condition, so each racing wheelchair is tailor-made and unique.

During the competition, depending on the disability, the athlete either sits or kneels on the seat, and moves forward by turning the wheelchair backward with the arm. In order to reduce resistance, the athlete puts the weight of the whole body on the legs, swings the hands accordingly, and the wheelchair rushes forward like a flying fish.

Practice “basic skills” well in five years, learn to be a person and do things
“From the time a freshman enlists in the team,the basic thing is to lay a good foundation, including comprehensive physical fitness training and reasonable control of wheelchair technology. This is something that needs to be focused on for a long time.” Huang Peng said that wheelchair racing is a long-term process sports. It takes at least 5 years from the beginning of contact with this sport to the end of being able to achieve success. This is also a great challenge for disabled athletes.

Looking forward to the team members working hard to represent the image of disabled people in China

On March 3rd, the State Council Information Office issued a white paper titled “Sports Development and Rights Protection for the Disabled in China,” which emphasized that the level of competitive sports for the disabled in my country has been continuously improved, and the number of disabled people participating in sports events is increasing. China has made contributions to the world’s sports for the disabled.

“Our party and the country are constantly advancing to a new level in promoting the standardization of the cause of the disabled, such as building a bridge for the integration of the disabled.” More and more attention has been paid to it, providing more employment opportunities for the disabled and providing a stage for the disabled to display their talents in culture and sports.