A new life for 'basketball girl'

Qian Hongyan, also known as "basketball girl," lost her legs in 2000 after a car accident that nearly took her life. Now, Qian has embarked on a new journey.

The girl from southwestern China's Yunnan province made headlines in 2005 when she was photographed walking with the help of a basketball. Financed by the Ministry of Public Security, Qian was fitted with a pair of prostheses at the China Rehabilitation Center in Beijing. She decided to start swimming seriously in 2007, after being inspired by the 7th National Para Games of China.

Because of her disability, Qian has to rely on her upper body to move through the water. She can swim 3,000 to 4,000 meters in two hours. In addition, strength training is part of Qian's daily routine; she does many push-ups and pull-ups every day.

Despite generous offers of help, Qian prefers to do things independently. Although training occupies much of her time, she also enjoys seeing movies on the weekends. She said she hopes to have a stable income in 2017, and plans to dedicate herself to training and competitions.

A number of Qian's fans have commented on Weibo that she is like a mermaid, moving gracefully through the water without legs.