Our petty problems of day-to-day life crumble in comparison to those of Quan Peng. He is a disabled man who is fighting against discrimination by trekking across China via wheelchair.
On Aug. 31, 2014, Peng set out from Beijing, China with his canvas gloves and sleeping gear and has been on the road ever since. Peng’s final destination is Sanya, China, approximately a 4,000-mile journey. He plans on arriving in January 2017. Peng keeps track of his adventures on his blog, Roll All Over China.
Peng, 29, became paralyzed from the chest down 14 years ago during a failed surgery. After overcoming a long battle with depression and thoughts of suicide, Peng decided he wanted to travel the world.
“Dreamers will not give up on life,” Peng told CNN. “Traveling has always been my dream, so I decided to do just that even if I had to do it on my wheelchair.”
Besides exploring his country, Peng mainly wants to fight discrimination against the disabled. He has been denied work due to his disability. Some hotels denied Peng a room during his journey because they either didn’t have the resources to help or they thought he was a beggar. Certain parts of China are hard to navigate for the handicapped, and Peng wanted to effect change.
If there’s one thing Peng doesn’t want, however, it’s pity.
“I want to tell the world that disabled people can survive independently,” Peng told Daily Mail. “I want to show people I can do it.”
McGee Nall is a travel intern with Paste and a freelance writer based out of Athens, Georgia.