One-leg swimmer tackles Chongqing's river every day since 2003

A one-leg man in southwest China's Chongqing has been swimming across a local river, which is a major tributary of the Yangzte River, almost every day for the last 14 years, Chongqing Evening News reports.

Pounding rains can't keep him from his daily swim, says 64-year-old Wang Rong.

Photo shows 64-year-old Wang Rong, who lost his left leg to cancer in 1983, plunging into Chongqing's Jialing River. [Photo: www.thepaper.cn]

Wang, head of a local amateur swimming team, dedicates two hours of each day to his swimming routine in the Jialing River.

"When I joined Wang's team, I was shocked that our leader is a disabled person. This was a source of motivation for us healthy people," said 34-year-old Lan Lin, a member of the swimming team.

Wang, once a worker at a local textile factory, lost his left leg to bone cancer in 1983. Wang's wife was three months into her pregnancy when Wang had the surgery.

Photo shows 64-year-old Wang Rong tackling a slope on his way to swimming in Chongqing's Jialing River. [Photo: www.thepaper.cn]

Wang had mastered swimming before losing his leg. He started swimming regularly in the Jialing River in 2003 partly as a way to relieve the stress caused by his glaucoma.

"At first I just wanted to be able to swim straight in the river. Without a leg, it was hard to do that. Gradually, I was able to swim together with healthy people. I didn't want to be the slowest swimmer among the group, so I tried my best to swim faster. Later, I began trying long-distance swimming," said Wang.

In 2015, Wang received an award from China Central Television in recognition of his long-time dedication to amateur sports.

Wang says he is also the holder of a national record for disabled people for being able to swim for over 40 kilometers without stopping.