American expat in China helps disabled explore world of sports

BEIJING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Standing in a swimming pool in a stadium in south Beijing, Joshua Dominick patiently guided a group of novice swimmers wearing inflatable lifebuoys to hold their breath and put their heads underwater.

The beginners were mostly middle-aged people with mild disabilities; some of them attempting swimming for the first time in their life.

"We just wanna get them in the pool, get them experiencing the water... if they like it, if they want to exercise with us, they can come in the future and become regular participants," said 43-year-old Dominick.

Having spent about 22 years in China working as a translator, Dominick has also been dedicated to helping disabled people engage in sports based on their physical conditions and capabilities.

"What we want to do is to get people with disabilities out and about, to help society understand them, and basically help them reintegrate into the society," he explained.

As a member of the Global Young Leaders Dialogue program, Dominick and other foreign participants made trips across China earlier this year.

In 2013, Dominick founded "Krankin' thru China" along with his friends. The initiative brought together a group of outdoor sports enthusiasts in Beijing to promote adaptive sports.

The organization's initial focus was hand cycling. In 2017, they organized a 106-day trip on recumbent bikes from southwest China's Yunnan Province to Beijing.

The long journey took the team across 12 provinces and cities. At various stops, they interacted with local disabled communities to promote adaptive sports.

Having developed in the United States and Europe for decades, adaptive sports are relatively new in China. Dominick said that some people did express their reluctance at first due to fear, but some motivational words and a few tries ensured their involvement.

Those who succeeded attribute their feat to him and the organization, Dominick said with a sense of pride.

With more people joining in over the years, the organization gradually branched out to other sports such as swimming, rock climbing, and even surfing and scuba diving.

"We never say 'you can't do this' or 'I don't recommend you do this.' We tell them what it entails, what they need to do, and what skills they need to have," Dominick said.

He believes that China has done a lot to provide equal opportunities and a level playing field for the disabled. "China is going in the right direction, I hope that I can go in that direction with China together and do what I can for the place that I've chosen to live."

Dominick said he considers himself "very lucky" as he can speak the Chinese language, has lived in China, made a lot of friends and has had a lot of diverse experiences.

"So I think in the future, (I will) go with the flow, make the best of what's been given to me and do what I can to give back," he added.