by Xinhua writer Xiong Maoling
BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Supported by a walking aid and wrapped in a raincoat, Taylor Walker-Lear took another break during her hike on the Great Wall and peered at the amazing view through one of its dented parts.
"Is it worth it?" Taylor's mother Toni Elford asked her. "Yeah, it is," Taylor replied without hesitation.
For this 11-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, June 6 was the day she had been eagerly looking forward to for more than a year. In March 2016, Taylor and her family climbed to the summit of the highest mountain in Australia, Mount Kosciuszko. When her mother asked about her next goal, she said: "Mount Everest might be a little too hard right now, but maybe the Great Wall."
On Tuesday, with the help of her walking aid, the support of her parents and sponsor, and accompanied by a group of primary school volunteers from Beijing, Taylor realized her Chinese dream by successfully climbing the Mutianyu Great Wall despite the rainy and chilly weather.
Walking on the wall might sound like an easy feat for some, but for Taylor, it's much more difficult. Step by step, she moved forward slowly yet steadily, with incredible strength and determination for a girl of her age and condition. Whenever she encountered steep stairs, her parents lifted her and held her, encouraging her to keep going.
A LITTLE AUSSIE GIRL'S CHINESE DREAM
Taylor's journey started near Watch Tower No. 14, somewhere in the middle of the Mutianyu Great Wall, a part that was built by General Xu Da in the early Ming Dynasty, more than 600 years ago. It was mainly used for military defense.
During her short stay in the dim and cramped tower, Taylor attentively listened to the guide, trying to learn more about the profound history of the Great Wall. From a little window, Taylor popped out her head to take in the magnificent view.
"It's different than I expected, different in a good way," Taylor told Xinhua. "It's amazingly beautiful."
There is something about China that attracts Taylor, even though she can't exactly say what it is. "It's a magical appeal," Taylor's father Simon said.
In order to be fully prepared for her Great Wall trip, Taylor has been undergoing physical therapy for the past six or seven months, for one or two hours everyday, which included walking, standing unaided, moving her legs from side to side, etc.
"Moving her legs into a specific position is not easy for her," her mother Toni told Xinhua. Moreover, Taylor has been swimming two or three times a week, her father said. She is also passionate about swimming and wants to be a Paralympic swimmer like Jacqueline Freney, who won eight gold medals in the 2012 London Paralympic Games.
Just like a viewer of Xinhua's Facebook Live report commented on Taylor's Great Wall trip, "no gain without pain" -- this little girl has endured unimaginable pain before being able to set foot on the wall she had dreamed of.
Last September, Taylor went through a major surgery to improve her motor function. After that, she was able to stand straight like ordinary children. When asked whether the surgery was painful, she said breezily:"It's all right."
Toni, however, told Xinhua: "It must have been immense pain for her. Only Taylor can take it in her stride." Toni said her daughter never shed a tear because of the surgery. "She is such a courageous kid. She always pushes herself to be the best she can be."
Dougal Cameron, a volunteer who accompanied Taylor on her trip, said he was amazed at how happy she is all the time. "It's obviously painful for her to walk so far along the Great Wall. She is amazing."
Dougal added he was both inspired by Taylor's story and by China. "She obviously loves China. For the same reason she wants to come and explore China, I want to come and explore China," he said.
Dougal has been studying Chinese for two years and is about to start his studies at Fudan University in Shanghai.
A CHINESE BUSINESSMAN'S GESTURE OF GRATITUDE
The trip to Great Wall was "surreal" for Toni. "We are so grateful for all the support Taylor received from all corners of the world," Toni said, noting that one person deserves special thanks.
That person is Taylor's sponsor for this trip, Norman Li, a Chinese businessman who works and lives in Sydney. Li now owns a company which mainly produces health and skincare products.
Li learned about Taylor's dream of climbing the Great Wall earlier this year. Deeply touched and inspired by her story, Li decided immediately to sponsor Taylor and her family's trip to Beijing.
He then arranged a one-week visit, which also included the Beijing Zoo, the Forbidden City and the National Swimming Center as well as a short trip to Shanghai.
"It was so moving," Li said. "Taylor is so strong for a kid at her age. All the pain she endured was for a goal that couldn't be simpler for an ordinary person: standing and walking."
Besides Taylor's strength and determination, her family also deeply touched Li. "Her mom, though not her biological mother, has been taking such good care of her with tremendous love for seven years. That's just incredible."
Taylor's mother Toni Elford married her father Simon when she was four years old, and has treated Taylor like her own. "Her wins are my wins. We're a team," Toni told Xinhua. When Taylor finished her Great Wall trip, Toni said to her: "We did it. We did it together. I am so lucky you are my daughter."
Sponsoring Taylor's China trip was not just about helping those in need, Li told Xinhua. "It's also about expressing my gratitude."
About three decades ago, Li went to study in Australia and then started working there. "At the beginning, many warm-hearted locals helped me in various ways. They were so kind," Li said. "What I did for Taylor is also to repay those Australians who gave me a hand years ago."
An old Chinese saying goes, "A drop of water in need shall be returned with a spring in deed."
"That's what I am doing right now," Li said.
"THE GREATEST WALK ON THE GREATEST WALL"
While Taylor was stoically making her way up the Great Wall, a group of Chinese primary school students followed her closely, and interacted with her occasionally. A viewer commented on Xinhua's Facebook Live report that "it's amazing that all children are following her steps!"
"Those Chinese kids are beautiful. It's very nice for Taylor to connect with them," Toni said, noting that even though English is their second language, they still managed to communicate with Taylor using means that sometimes went "beyond words."
Before Taylor started her climb, the children gave her a red rooster doll, which symbolizes the Year of the Rooster according to the Chinese zodiac signs. This little gift lit up Taylor's face, and was clearly one of the highlights of her visit to the wall on that rainy day.
Simon added Taylor was inspired that so many people accompanied her, and their sincere support reinforced her confidence and made it easier.
Speaking of her overall impression, Toni said that the Chinese have gone above and beyond what they had expected. "China is really opening its arms, and people are so warm, kind, friendly, and they are really interested in Taylor and her story. It's a beautiful country."
Even though they only got to see a very small piece of the wall, Toni said she was deeply impressed. "We loved the old and the new, the combination of the two."
This was also part of Li's intention: offering a chance for foreigners to better understand China and the Chinese people. "I hope they can know more about China's development. It's so different from their old perception."
On this trip, Taylor not only realized her Chinese dream despite great personal challenges, but also in a way brought Chinese and Australian people closer. Just like a viewer said during Xinhua's Facebook Live report, what Taylor has accomplished is in fact "the greatest walk on the greatest wall." Enditem
(Xinhua reporters Xu Haijing, Wang Shang and Chen Chen contributed to this report.)
