Mark Wang was a passenger aboard China Northwest Airlines Flight 2119 from Yinchuan to Beijing on July 23 , 1993 . His spinal column was severely injured when the aircraft failed to get airborne and crashed into a lake . As a result , he was paralyzed from the waist down . Because of his injuries he was moved to Beijing Rehabilitation and Research Center ( BRRC ) in September 1993 . At the time , BRRC and Sunnaas Hospital in Oslo , Norway had established a cooperation program , and a tour of BRRC 's facilities in Beijing was included in Queen Sonja of Norway 's royal visit to China . As a patron of Red Cross Nordic United World College ( RCNUWC ) , Queen Sonja donated a scholarship to BRRC which was subsequently awarded to Mark Wang . While a student at Red Cross Nordic United World College , Mark Wang befriended the Norwegian marathon runner and disabled rights activist Ketil Moe . Through collaborative efforts , they were able to establish the Beijing Marathon for the Disabled in 1998 . While at the United World College , Mark Wang also wrote an autobiography given the English title Hold Up The Blue Sky of Life ( ) . This autobiography became a best-seller in China , and became the basis of an 18-installment CCTV produced TV-series about his life . In the 2008 Beijing Olympics , Mark Wang was selected as a carrier in the Olympic torch relay
China Northwest Airlines Flight 2119
China Northwest Airlines Flight 2119
Mark Wang