Chinese athlete runs from South to North Pole

(Photo provided by the interviewee)

A Chinese athlete named Bai Bin spent 433 days running 24,000 km from the South to the North Pole, crossing 65 cities in 14 countries.

On March 2, 2018, Bai and his team set out from China's Great Wall Research Station in Antarctica.

Along the way, they encountered various challenges. For instance, Bai was badly sunburned on one occasion. His feet were also damaged because he was running more than 70 km every day.

While he was running alone in the border area between the US and Mexico, Bai says four men armed with guns kidnapped him. He thought that it was because he had run into a forbidden zone.

To prove himself, Bai used translation apps to communicate with the four men. The videos in his cell phone showing his journey convinced his kidnappers he was just a runner.

(Photo provided by the interviewee)

Eventually, Bai was freed, and the four men encouraged him to continue, even supplying him with two bottles of water.

There were good memories, too. When Bai ran through a town in Canada, overseas Chinese living there invited him for dinner and treated him to some Guizhou spicy chili sauce, a delicacy from his hometown.

(Photo provided by the interviewee)

Bai hopes his experience will give confidence and courage to people and help them survive difficult times in life. A girl once left a message on Bai's official account, saying she was encouraged by Bai's perseverance.

Bai next plans to run from the North Pole to the South Pole, leaving his footprints all over the world. "For me, life is not to indulge in pleasures, but to challenge myself," said Bai. 

(Photo provided by the interviewee)