Tiny Runner Completes Epic Journey in China
‘An 8-year-old Chinese girl has just finished a run of truly epic proportions. In 55 days, she covered 2,212 miles, in celebration of next year’s Olympics in Beijing. But her feat has sparked accusations of child abuse against her father, who is also her trainer.
Early Tuesday morning, Zhang Huimin entered Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the end of an arduous run from China’s southernmost tip in Hainan island to the nation’s capital. She covered about 40 miles a day — and wore out 20 pairs of running shoes — in pursuit of a dream.
“I want to be an Olympic champion — the champion of long-distance running,” Zhang, who is nicknamed Little Monkey, told NPR.
“I’m happy, I’m healthy, I’m a little Olympic athlete,” she said.’
