SHANGHAI: Competition in the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games was in full swing Thursday as intellectually disadvantaged athletes from 164 nations and regions participated at a number of venues, pushing the limits of their own bodies.

Fireworks light up the stadium during the opening ceremony for The Special Olympics in Shanghai October 2, 2007. [Agencies]Zhou Shuyun, 18, a Shanghai athlete, joined dozens of her peers in a motor skills training program designed for people with severe intellectual disabilities.

The slim girl, with a big medal swinging in front of her chest, sat cheerfully on the sidelines, letting out periodic shrieks of joy.

Zhou, who is too weak to participate in competitive events, had minutes before pushed a ball as hundreds of encouraging spectators and family members cheered her on. She could barely speak to communicate with other competitors.

"It (the ball push) is the simplest thing for an ordinary person - but a miracle for my daughter," said Zhou's mother Xu Yi.

Members of the German delegation attend the opening ceremony for the Special Olympics in Shanghai October 2, 2007. [Agencies]Since the girl, the only child of the family, was diagnosed with serious disability at the age of two, the mother has been caring for her full time at home. The teenager relies on assistance from others to eat and walk.

"It's hard to describe how heartbreaking it was when I learned of my daughter's disability," Xu recalled. "But after so many years I became tranquil with that reality and feel happy for each minor bit of progress she has made."

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