WANG XIAOYING/JINGNA/CHINA DAILY

Twelve years ago, doctors told Cai Lu he would never walk again. This week, as China marks its 36th National Disability Day, the 34-year-old is proving them wrong — not just by walking, but by running a prosthetics firm whose clients include Paralympic gold medalists.

Cai's journey from a 35-day coma to cofounder of Zhejiang Xingyuan Prosthetics & Orthotics Co, was defined by an unthinkable choice. In 2017, after three years of grueling, unsuccessful surgeries to save his shattered left leg, he demanded that doctors remove it.

"It wasn't giving up," Cai said. "It was a clear-eyed realization that I couldn't keep lying to myself."

In 2014, at age 22, an accident on a business trip changed everything. His right leg was amputated on the spot. His left leg was shattered. He fell into a coma, was put on a heart-lung machine and underwent more than 40 surgeries.

For three years, surgeons tried to save his left leg. Each time he recovered slightly, another operation followed. In late 2017, he convinced his mother to agree for him to have it amputated. The relief was immediate. "It was complete liberation," he said.

In 2018, Cai began using a prosthetic and relearned to walk. But stepping outside was another battle. The stares he received had a relentless impact.

A turning point came through Wei Qing, a local disabled persons' federation staff member who himself lives with a disability. Wei visited Cai repeatedly, gently coaxing him to attend group outings. Cai finally went. "I realized I wasn't alone," he said.

WANG XIAOYING/JINGNA/CHINA DAILY

Around 2020, Cai tried starting a fried chicken delivery business. But the physical demands proved too high: an ablebodied person could prepare an order in 10 minutes, while he needed half an hour. He soon closed the shop. He then turned to social media, gaining nearly 100,000 followers in three months by sharing his life story.

But Cai soon faced a dilemma: his team pushed him to monetize his content, while he instead wanted to remain true to his story.

The pressure of daily updates and traffic anxiety left him exhausted.

"Don't rush. Let things settle first," his mother told him. Heeding her words, Cai stepped back and poured himself into training programs offered by the local disabled persons' federation. In 2023, he won a national vocational skills championship for persons with disabilities in tea art — an achievement that gave him the confidence to cofound his prosthetics company the same year.

As a prosthetic user himself, Cai understood the pain points: poor fit, chafing and lack of follow-up care. His company developed a patented adjustable socket that adapts to changes in the residual limb — a first in the industry.

"Traditional companies fit you and send you away," he said. "We provide full life cycle service: pre-fitting training, fitting, and ongoing support."

The company's clients include Jiang Yuyan, who won seven gold medals at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games, and Xu Jialing, who lit the cauldron at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games in 2023. Nearly 40 percent of the company's 30-plus employees are people with disabilities.

His own athletic career has also taken flight. In 2025, Cai was selected for China's inaugural disabled park golf team, representing the nation in the Republic of Korea. When he isn't on the green or in the factory, he travels as an inspirational speaker for schools across Zhejiang province.

"I believe that if we can just get through the hardest phase, each of us can usher in a transformation," Cai said. Looking back at the man who was once told he was confined to a chair, his message is simple: "Keep being brave."