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Fireman’s Unbelievable Victory in Local Race Propels Him to Internet Stardom

Fireman’s Unbelievable Victory in Local Race Propels Him to Internet Stardom

April 12, 2017
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An inspiring video of a dedicated athlete in China is winning netizens hearts on Chinese social media after managing to pull off an amazing comeback in a 200-meter race.
Yan Mengdi, a firefighter from Shanghai, became an overnight internet sensation after his performance at a local race was uploaded online and went viral.
The competition, which was a part of a spring sports festival for local firefighters, was held in the Qingpu District in Shanghai on Friday, Shanghaiist reports.
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In the particular race where Yan became a star, participants were tasked to run 200 meters while carrying water hoses in both hands with a combined weight of 12 kg (26.45 lb).
In the widely shared video, Yan can be seen losing his grip and dropping one of his hoses, causing him to fall way behind his competitors. His error even got him cropped out from the frame of the footage, making it seem that he was already out of contention.
Running behind for about 10 meters, the relentless firefighter refused to give up and got back into the race. Just a few moments later, just as the other runners are nearing the finish line, Yan is shown mounting an impressive comeback and eventually finishing the race with an incredible win.
The Shanghai Fire Fighting Bureau uploaded the video featuring Yan’s incredible “never-say-die” attitude on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where it became widely shared by impressed netizens.
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      Ryan General

      Ryan General is a Senior Reporter for NextShark

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