Li Liyong used to be a yachtsman (帆船运动员)on China's national team. In 2013, he met some autistic( 患自闭症的 ) children in a special education school for the first time. Since then, Li has been trying to make a difference to them.
The ocean and yachting always give Li power, so he thought that they could help those autistic children out of their closed world. Then he decided to organize yachting activities for them. At first, nobody agreed with his idea. But Li didn't give up. In May, 2013, the first group including 20 children and their parents began their adventure (冒险) . Many children were afraid to board the yacht at first. But when they sat and tried to put their feet into the water, they smiled.
A child called Xiaoyu is one of the members. His mother says he has become more outgoing and can hug or shake hands with other kids after the activity. He also shares his happiness with his family. The mother of another child Xiaoxin, says he looks very joyful on the sea. "Seeing the happiness on his face gives me hope, "she says.
Li says, "I hope more people can know, understand, respect and accept autistic children, and learn to treat them like everyone else. "
