The son of modest farmers from Shandong province, Xu was not destined to sail the oceans. He lost his left arm up to the elbow after an accident during a fireworks display.
"I discovered that my body was very resilient and my mind too," he said, accentuating the positive. "Also if I hadn't lost my arm, I may never have discovered sailing."
"I'm very honoured to represent China and to be the first Chinese to participate in the Vendee Globe," the 35-year-old added.
"It's quite a complex emotion. I'm very excited because I've been preparing for this race for two years, but I also feel some pressure because the real challenges are yet to come."
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 11, 2024-Ausgabe von The Straits Times.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 11, 2024-Ausgabe von The Straits Times.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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