At this year's National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the National Special Olympic Games, the Xizang delegation fielded 73 athletes across nine sports, including athletics, wheelchair basketball and weightlifting.

Sonam was one of them, and his journey reflects a broader transformation in Xizang, where expanding support for disability sports is opening new paths for young athletes. Training stints beyond the plateau have shown him, and many others, just how wide the world can be.

"There's always someone stronger,"Sonam said. "But that just means I have a longer road ahead."

For a teenager who once struggled to see clearly in the light, he envisions a road stretching far beyond the plateau where his journey began.

Xinhua