Xia Boyu demonstrates ice climbing skills after the National Ice Climbing Championship held in Fangshan district of Beijing, Jan 14, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

A legless old man competing at the National Ice Climbing Championship held in Fangshan district of Beijing on Jan 14 has drawn much attention, the Legal Evening News reported Thursday.

The 69-year-old man, Xia Boyu, used to be a soccer player before he joined the Chinese Mountaineering Team in 1974. One year later, Xia Boyu lost his legs due to frostbite during a mission to climb Qomolangma, known as Mount Everest in the West. Xia, then 24, also lost his father in the same year.

Xia could not get out of the troughs until a German expert on artificial limb told him that he could still climb mountains.

However, due to continuous heavy training, the wounds on Xia's legs could not heal, and he was even diagnosed with lymph cancer in 1996. But Xia did not cease training, and he won two titles in the paralyzed group at the IFSC Climbing World Championships Arco 2011 in Italy.

Xia tried to reach the top of Qomolangma for the fourth time in 2016, but a snowstorm forced him to retrieve when he was just 94 meters from the peak. He considers this his biggest regret.

But Xia will not give up. "I am set to conquer Qomolangma,” Xia said.