To me, they are all giants.

This photo is a good metaphor of what I think about the competitors I went with or those I met at the Gobi March. In fact, every competitor to me is a giant. Even some of the volunteers are to me, giants. Competitors who join this competition seem to have a subconscious will of trying to test the theory of mind over matter. Walking 40km for one day is already a challenge to our physical limits. But this competition is 7 days and 6 nights, plus steep up-and-down mountain climbs, plus self-supported. The weight is not only the supplies they are carrying, but also the exhaustion, the injuries, and the will to reach the finishing line.

During the week of the Gobi March, I have been travelling mostly in these 4 by 4s. These vehicles have taken us through mountains, deserts and rivers. This is the first time for me to try using them as the major mode of transportation and I have enjoyed very much. This is also my first time carrying all of my own supplies and go camping outdoors. As the staff of Racing the Planet said at the orientation, this is a competition about going "back to basics", "what you carry on your back is what you survive for a week." I never  thought I would enjoy it, but I really do now.

This is a snapshot taken when I was in the bus on my way from downtown Kashgar to the Gobi Desert on June 8, 2012. The bus stopped while trying to negotiate a narrow bend and I took a second to take this photo. This is the start of the journey to the Gobi March 2012, an event which I will always remember. The happenings, the people I met and the dialogues with them were very inspiring and have much impact on me. I would like capture these as much as I can.