Wheelchair Dance Gave Kim Yong-woo a Second Life After He Lost the Ability to Walk

At 26, Kim Yong-woo had finished studying in Canada and was dreaming of starting a business when a vehicle rollover in the Rocky Mountains left him unable to walk. After sustaining a spinal cord injury, he initially struggled to accept his disability, focusing on treatment and exercise in the belief that he would walk again. As time passed, he faced the reality of his condition and began to accept it.

Finding flight through wheelchair dance

After accepting his disability, Kim found an outlet in dance. He discovered he could dance in a wheelchair and pursued wheelchair dance sport despite repeated falls and injuries. He retired from the national wheelchair dance team in 2009. He now performs with a dance troupe where disabled and nondisabled people dance together, building a second life through dance.

Recently, Kim spoke at a disability awareness education session at an elementary school, sharing his story with students. He explained how he came to dance and how he had lived, speaking at times calmly and at times passionately. He said he feels most free when dancing in his wheelchair onstage.

Managing pain around the clock

Behind the performances is a daily struggle with pain. Kim, who has a Grade 2 physical disability, experiences pain around the clock from his incomplete paralysis, ranging from numbness to a stabbing sensation. To ease it, he stretches each day on a mat in his living room and carefully secures his legs and waist in his wheelchair as part of a strict self-care routine.

“Whenever I have time, I loosen up my body and stimulate my legs and feet to relieve the pain,” he said. Pain can intensify as it subsides, but he continues to manage it rather than avoid it. He also eases fatigue with bath products containing ginger and cinnamon and uses ginger powder his mother grinds for him.

A dancing partnership with his wife, Lee So-min

Kim’s wife, Lee So-min, studied contemporary dance. They have been in the same dance troupe for four years and have been married for three. Lee dances with him onstage as his partner and supports him in daily life as he uses a wheelchair.

The two met through dance. After four months of quietly courting her, Kim confessed his feelings during a performance at home, and the relationship blossomed. They now share an ordinary daily life with their son. Kim remains focused on caring for his body and continues to perform with his wife, turning what seems impossible into possibility through dance.

Source: original video (YouTube)