With the Beijing Paralympic Games underway, a group of disabled residents visited the Paralympic Village together with Yang Jiechi, the Foreign Minister of China. They had a wonderful time talking with Paralympic athletes from home and abroad. Our reporter He Fei has the story.

With the energetic Paralympic Games in full swing, about 40 representatives of the local disabled community paid a visit to the Paralympic Village to meet with Paralympic champions. They come from all walks of life, such as students of the Beijing School for the Blind, factory workers, and blind masseurs to name a few.

Many of them actually work as volunteers for the Beijing Paralympics. Ma Qiaoyun, once an athlete, is now running a chain of four massage parlors. As a blind masseur, she serves the Paralympic athletes during the Games.

"As a disabled person, I think participation is very important. And furthermore, we should overcome ourselves to do better.

During the Beijing Paralympics, over 60 disabled people including myself work as volunteers in the Paralympic Village or other venues. We use our professional skills to serve athletes from all over the world and at the same time, show our
spirit and positive life attitude to them. We share the same world with all the people, no matter we are disabled or not."

Among all the visitors, there are also three special guests from quake-hit areas in Southwest China's Sichuan Province. The devastating earthquake last May changed their lives completely as it took their legs.

Yang Jiechi accompanies them in the activities and encourages the children to learn from the Paralympic athletes.

"Although the earthquake crippled you for life, I know you are all good. I hope you can learn from all the Paralympic athletes to keep an upward attitude to life and fight against all the difficulties. And I believe you'll be talented and useful additions to society."

Guo Tingting is a student of the Juyuan Middle School in Dujiangyan county of Sichuan, one of the worst-hit areas in the quake. She was the first girl to stand up again with her prosthesis after the injury. She says she is inspired by the spirit of all the athletes.
"I am happy today to meet so many athletes here. Their spirit inspired me a lot. They are disabled people, just like me. I admire their persistence to never give up. They are my role models."

Dressed in a pink skirt, the one-legged Ballet girl from the opening ceremony, Li Yue, also came to the Paralympic Village. Upon seeing her, the famous South African swimmer Natalie Du Toit, who competed both in the Beijing Olympics and the Paralympics, gave her best wishes.

"I think it's just to persevere and just to keep going and be the best she can be, to never give up and there gonna be good times and bad times but it's just to carry on and be the best she can be."

Other foreign athletes also sent their best wishes, like veteran German table tennis player Rainer Schmidt.

"It's maybe the two most important points that they don't lost the happiness of their life that they can come back in social life and so on and I wish to all of them that many people are caring for them and then it'll work."

HF, CRI News.