A splendidly brave 23-year-old "China's Got Talent" contestant who at age 10 lost both of his arms in a freak electrocution accident, but still decided to chase his dream of becoming a concert pianist even after one piano teacher told him he would never, ever succeed. And now, Liu has succeeded, all right. When he auditioned for "China's Got Talent" in August with a perfect performance of French pianist Richard Clayderman's "Mariage D'amour" played entirely with his toes, he became not just a Chinese but an international hero, a role model for anyone struggling to fight unbelievable odds.
And this past weekend, Liu won the complete competition with a tear-jerking and inspiring performance of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" complete with English-language singing in front of a capacity audience at Shanghai Stadium.
When Liu first auditioned, he delivered a courageous and serious speech, declaring: "For people like me, there were only two options. One was to abandon all dreams, which would lead to a quick, hopeless death. The other was to struggle without arms to live an outstanding life." But on Sunday when he accepted his "CGT" prize, he revealed a lighter side of his personality, telling the judges, "At least I have a pair of perfect legs!"
Congratulations to Liu. Heartening stories of overcoming adversity are nothing new on "Got Talent" and other reality shows, but his is a true sob story with a truly happy ending.
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