Death Race survivor: ‘I owe him my life’

After the sports tragedy that left 21 people dead in China, one survivor said he was lucky to meet a kind shepherd at a time of life and death.

The morning of May 22 started with the excitement of 172 athletes waiting at the starting line. They are participating in the 100 km cross country race in Gansu province, China. Before the opening whistle blew, Zhang Xiaotao felt that it was cold and the wind blew the hats of several other athletes. This is a sign that a series of challenges await him in the race ahead. Just a few hours later, Mr. Truong was lying unconscious on a rugged mountain due to the rain and the bone-chilling wind. Rescue vehicles joined the search for the athletes. Photo: AFP. Moment of life and death Truong Tieu Dao is a sports blogger. He was among the survivors rescued after being trapped in hail and cold winds without any protective gear. More than 1,200 rescuers were deployed to search for athletes on the mountainside. A total of 21 unlucky people were killed. Many people have fainted before because of hypothermia. According to Truong, the contest started at 9am. During the first 20 km of the competition, he felt the weather was still within an acceptable level. However, when it came to the hill climb, the runners began to face the most difficult part of the race when heavy rain obscured their vision. “The rain kept hitting my face and my eyes blurred. I couldn’t see the road clearly,” he said. Right before starting to climb the mountain, Mr. Truong overtook Hoang Quan Quan, the men’s marathon champion at the 2019 Paralympics. Mr. Hoang died not long after. A surviving athlete undergoes a health check in a hospital in Baiyin City. Photo: AFP. By the time the athletes reached the middle of the mountainside, it was already past 10am. Truong Tieu Dao felt that the wind was strong at that time, about level 9. Cold rain and strong wind swept across his face, making him feel like a knife. His whole body trembled because he was only wearing a short-sleeved shirt, shorts and a thin jacket to block the sun. When faced with weather that was harsher than a sandstorm, Zhang Xiaotao continued to run for a few more kilometers. By this time, his body became cold due to hypothermia. The wind was so strong that he slipped and fell dozens of times until he couldn’t get up on his own and fainted. His left arm and leg were injured. “At this point, I surrender to the wind and rain.” When he woke up, he found himself in a cave, wrapped in a blanket and sitting by the fire. A shepherd found him and brought him to safety. “I owe him my life,” said Truong. Chu Khac Minh is a resident of Truong Sinh village. Every day, he went to the top of the mountain to herd sheep. On May 22, when it started to rain, he had to go to the cave to take shelter. In the past, he also used to heat and cook here. When he looked up the hill, he saw that in the rain, Zhang Xiaotao was fainting. Before that, he had also saved five other people. Mr. Zhou tried to carry Zhang Xiaotao on his back, moving little by little towards the cave. At this time, Mr. Truong was still aware that he was being dragged away. However, because of his small body, Mr. Zhou could only drag him on the ground. After that, a few athletes who had recovered temporarily joined forces to bring Zhang Xiaotao into the cave. It took more than two hours from the time Mr. Truong fainted until he was rescued. Zhang Xiaotao is the only survivor among the top 6 athletes. Unforeseen danger After two days of treatment to restore health, Truong Tieu Dao was discharged from the hospital and returned to his hometown in Luoyang. As he exited the train gate, a member of the welcoming crew hugged him. The man gave him a bottle of water and said, “Now go home, drink some water.” He used the palm of his hand to turn the cap of the water bottle. His fingers were still numb. Zhang couldn’t even tear the plastic bag to get the mask. Baiyin city government officials said the tragedy happened due to a sudden change in weather when the athletes were at an altitude of 2,000 meters. The story of athletes stuck without phones, without raincoats published by Chinese media has caused outrage in the past few days. Rescuers rushed to find the athletes. Photo: AFP. By the evening of May 23, the Gansu provincial government had set up a task force to investigate the incident. It is one of the deadliest events in Chinese sports. This raises concerns about the dangers of the transcendental runs that draw thousands of participants each year. Even the most veteran cannot avoid danger. As cross-country races have grown in popularity over the past two decades, organizers have continued to include increasingly difficult challenges and longer races. The cross-country run on May 22 is part of a series of annual programs that have been successfully held in the previous 4 years. This is seen as a way to promote tourism in Gansu, one of the poorest provinces in China. Participants are usually mountain climbers and cross-country runners. Many of them are motivated by the prize money as well as the glory. According to the event’s official account, the prize pool for this year’s contest is around $2,300. Yun Yancao, one of China’s top athletes, did not participate in the competition. However, he lost two friends, Hoang An Bin and Luong Tinh. The contest is an opportunity for them to earn a large amount of money because neither of them comes from rich backgrounds. Luong Tinh in an earlier race in Hong Kong. Photo: Sportograf. According to Mr. Van, Luong Tinh participated in the contest because of his wife and young children, as well as his passion. “Luong Tinh always works and trains hard. He cares about his family a lot,” Mr. Van commented. Experiencing life and death moments, Truong Tieu Dao still loves this sport and will continue to participate. However, for him, it was still a painful lesson: “I will carefully consider the different factors and improve my gear in the competition.” “Man is very small before nature. A wind, a rain can take anyone’s life,” he said.