A paralyzed climber tried to climb a skyscraper in Hong Kong (VIDEO)

Wheelchair climber Lai Chi-wai climbed the wall of the Hong Kong skyscraper Nina Tower for 10 hours to raise funds for patients with spinal cord injuries like him, Reuters reported. The height of the skyscraper is 319 meters. The athlete planned to climb to the very top, but had to stop at around 250 meters.

Lai Chi-wai is 37 years old. In the past, he is a four-time Asian climbing champion, ranked eighth in the ranking of the best climbers in the world. 10 years ago, an athlete had a car accident and was paralyzed from the waist down. Despite this, Lai Chi-wai did not give up his hobby and continued climbing. During the ascent, he pulls himself up on ropes, to which the wheelchair is attached by a system of pulleys.

“I couldn't just live - I was constantly wondering why I needed this. Therefore, as soon as I realized that you can go to the mountains even in a wheelchair, I immediately tried it”, - says Lai Chi-wai. According to the athlete, the hobby helped him to some extent forget that he is disabled, and again believe that he can dream and do what he loves. Five years ago, the athlete managed to climb to the top of the 495-meter Lion Rock, one of the attractions of Hong Kong.

This time, a strong wind prevented reaching the final goal: below 250 meters, Lai Chi-wai was forced to stop climbing for safety reasons. “It was scary”, - the athlete admitted. “When climbing a mountain, I can grab onto ledges or cracks in rocks. But all I could rely on as I climbed the glass wall was the rope to which the chair was attached".

With his action, says Lai Chi-wai, he wanted to draw attention to the problems of people with spinal disabilities. He succeeded. In addition, he raised HK $ 5.2 million (US $ 670,639) in donations for fellow sufferers.

Nina Tower is an 80-story skyscraper in Hong Kong. At 318.8 meters, it is the 6th tallest building in Hong Kong and the 74th tallest building in the world.