Determination drivesacademic achievements 轮椅上的修行

张忠秀

矣曉沅，轮椅上的“奔跑者”，孜孜不倦地追求学业成就。最终，他做到了。

Yi Xiaoyuan has used a wheelchair for 25 years， but he has never considered himself restricted by it， and he has relentlessly pursued academic achievements and a desire to be treated just like non-disabled people.

Born in 1991 in Yuxi， Yunnan， Yi enjoyed a happy childhood until 1997， when his appetite disappeared and he began having high fevers. Two years later， he was diagnosed with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis， but the delay in diagnosis meant he missed the optimum time for treatment. When he was discharged from the hospital， he was told that he would never stand upright or walk again. However， he refused to give in.

Hequicklydemonstratedhisresilienceafter beingadmittedtoprimaryschoolin 1999， and it seemed he was on a roll until his illness worsened， forcing him to suspend his studies in 2005. Though several misfortunes arrived in a row， Yi maintained his determina- tion to push on in his life. In 2012， he was admitted to Tsinghua University by virtue of his good performance in the college entrance exam， and， most importantly， his indomitable spirit.

Thanks to his mothers care， Yi could devote himself fully to his academic work， gaining a masters degree in computing technology and a doctorate last year.

He said he is focusing on research into artificial intelligence. He hopes his research results will help push forward the construction of a barrier-free society in the future.