Jiangxi amputee overcomes adversity to sit gaokao

Among the millions of students who sat this year's national college entrance exam, or gaokao, Jiang-Zhang Ziyi stood out not only because of her big smile, but also because she is a double amputee who relies on a skateboard to get around.

With many provincial regions having released test takers' scores, Jiang-Zhang has learned that hers will allow her to be admitted to a well-known university.

"The scores are not as good as I expected, as I had a stomachache and fever during the exam, but they are still acceptable," she told media outlet ThePaper.cn.

As she left the test center with her father after finishing the final portion of the gaokao on June 8, she received applause from onlookers.

To make things more convenient for Jiang-Zhang, officials let her take the test in a private room, and her father was allowed to carry her there.

Her mother, Zhang Shuixiang, was waiting for her outside of the center. Like many Chinese parents, she wore red for good luck.

"I want to thank them for their applause, which gave us confidence," she told Xinhua News Agency. "Our family loves to smile, and each time we go outside, we always have big smiles on our faces."

Jiang-Zhang, from Shangrao, Jiangxi province, lost both of her legs in a car accident in 2010 at age 6.

When the accident happened, it was actually Jiang-Zhang who tried to comfort her mother and told her not to cry. Even before she entered the operating room, she confidently told her mother that the surgery would go well.

"If you cry, my pain will get worse, and when you do not cry, I feel much better," Jiang-Zhang recalled telling her mom.

Despite the dramatic changes in her life, Jiang-Zhang beat the odds and started to learn to dance a year after the accident.

Many teachers did not know how to teach her, but after multiple failed attempts, her mother finally found one who was willing to teach Jiang-Zhang.

Her limbs soon developed thick calluses after practicing so often, as Jiang-Zhang was not willing to give up.

"Although I am an amputee, I am as good as others at dancing," she said.

Over the years, Jiang-Zhang and her mother have performed on big stages many times. Their dances have touched the hearts of many people, and her story was also adapted into a movie in 2018.

Although Jiang-Zhang's parents are not rich, they have declined donations from people who have been moved by her story because they want her to be independent.

She studied extra hard for the gaokao in high school, getting up at 6 am and going to bed after midnight on most days. She was always one of the last students to leave the classroom in the evening and would only eat after she finished her homework.

Jiang-Zhang told ThePaper.cn that she wants to learn Chinese literature in college and plans to travel with her parents during her summer vacation.

She likes to write screenplays and discuss screenwriting with her friends.

"I am grateful for the public attention, and I want people to get to know a different and more dynamic me when they see my future works," she said.