A disabled 11-year-old boy in China has captivated social media after he ditched his crutches to perform complicated moves in a street dance competition.
Li Junhao, from Bozhou, Anhui province in central China, was raised by disabled parents after being diagnosed with congenital muscular dystrophy at birth, causing muscle atrophy and joint deformities in his legs.
A viral video posted online on April 9 shows Li confidently tossing aside his crutches, lifting himself into a handstand, and launching into a breakdancing routine filled with challenging moves.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
During his performance, Li supports himself entirely with his arms and core, executing moves where his legs swing in the air in circular motions.
In a push-up position, he kept his legs off the floor while bouncing and rotating his entire body to the rhythm.
Li finishes with an iconic “freeze” pose, where he balances his entire body on one arm, defying gravity, captivating the audience, and earning applause from the crowd.
Li’s childhood was marked by numerous hospital stays.
According to his father, Li underwent four major surgeries in different cities, and endured excruciating pain.
“Even in his worst moments, he would say, ‘I must stand up!’” his father said.
Li’s breakdancing instructor, Qiu Yu, said that Li trains for two hours in the evenings on school days and for up to seven hours on the weekend.
“He never says he is tired, nor has he ever said he does not want to train. He is more hardworking and resilient than any of the other kids I have trained,” Qiu told the Yangtze Evening Post.
Li’s hard work has earned him accolades on stage.
In 2023, he secured a spot in the top 32 at a national breakdancing competition in Chuzhou, Anhui, and last year, he won the Best Performance Award at the 5th National Art Biennale Disabled Youth in Beijing.
His resilience is also deeply rooted in his family.
Li’s father, who has only 0.01 visual acuity, and his mother, who also suffers from congenital muscular atrophy, have never succumbed to life’s challenges.
They run a Chinese massage shop and have helped other disabled people learn vocational skills, earning them multiple city-level honours.
Li is also ambitious.
“I want to become a professional breakdancer and hope to one day perform on stage at the Asian Games!” he said.
His story has touched countless hearts on mainland social media.
One person said: “Can you imagine how much effort it takes to dance like this?”
While another wrote: “The little boy on that stage, watching how hard he tries, makes me tear up and feel heartbroken at the same time.”
“His story reminds us that nothing is impossible if we have dreams,” added a third.
More from South China Morning Post:
- Chinese man celebrates month-old puppies, berated by officials for disrupting public order
- Limbless Chinese woman gives feedback to make-up companies to design user-friendly bottles
- China driver on autopilot at 130km/h filmed, passenger gets 70 US cent coupon compensation
- ‘Beauty pageant’: Thai transgender women seek publicity at military lottery exercise
- 2 Chinese women slammed by millions after lying on Japan highway for photos in wake of crash
For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2025.
