Wheels boy Fang Yuxiang: Where others go, I can go too
2023-09-01 20:09:06
By Zhang Chuxin, Yichang International Communication Studio
15-year-old Fang Yuxiang from Yichang, known on the internet as “Wheels Boy”, has become an internet sensation in China.
Fang finished junior high school this June. Like his classmates, he took the county’s senior high school entrance examination, scoring in the top 100. This allowed him to enroll in the prestigious Yuan'an No.1 High School.
Fang has a major disability: he was involved in a car accident when he was two years old and lost both legs.
His senior high school days began with a big challenge: “freshman military training”. This is a weeklong group exercise for students starting high school. Students do posture exercise and learn basic military movements such as marching in formation. They also get an opportunity to form friendships with their future classmates.
Fang’s mother Chan Yinglian asked him whether he wanted to go and received a strong yes in response.
For years, Fang used two small wooden hand supports to walk himself forwards. For the military training he needed a smarter, more modern mobility method, because he couldn’t keep up with the other students. Luckily, a friend of his mother stepped in and provided him with a snazzy self-balancing scooter.
He instantly became famous on China’s internet. A video of him sitting on the self-balancing scooter during the training session has gone viral. He and his classmates can be seen moving forward together in synch, turning, and completing the drill as instructed.
"Wherever others go, even if I'm slower, I can also go," said Fang.
Now that the military training is over, Fang is home preparing for the new school year. He is particularly interested in science, and keen to study physics, chemistry and biology in the future. He enjoys school. He likes talking to his classmates and solving problems with them.
15-year-old Fang Yuxiang from Yichang, known on the internet as “Wheels Boy”, has become an internet sensation in China.
Fang finished junior high school this June. Like his classmates, he took the county’s senior high school entrance examination, scoring in the top 100. This allowed him to enroll in the prestigious Yuan'an No.1 High School.
Fang has a major disability: he was involved in a car accident when he was two years old and lost both legs.
His senior high school days began with a big challenge: “freshman military training”. This is a weeklong group exercise for students starting high school. Students do posture exercise and learn basic military movements such as marching in formation. They also get an opportunity to form friendships with their future classmates.
Fang’s mother Chan Yinglian asked him whether he wanted to go and received a strong yes in response.
For years, Fang used two small wooden hand supports to walk himself forwards. For the military training he needed a smarter, more modern mobility method, because he couldn’t keep up with the other students. Luckily, a friend of his mother stepped in and provided him with a snazzy self-balancing scooter.
He instantly became famous on China’s internet. A video of him sitting on the self-balancing scooter during the training session has gone viral. He and his classmates can be seen moving forward together in synch, turning, and completing the drill as instructed.
"Wherever others go, even if I'm slower, I can also go," said Fang.
Now that the military training is over, Fang is home preparing for the new school year. He is particularly interested in science, and keen to study physics, chemistry and biology in the future. He enjoys school. He likes talking to his classmates and solving problems with them.
