Prosthetic leg cycling YouTuber completes 294km journey for campaign, attracts 6.5 mil. views
Cycling influencer Park Chan-jong / Courtesy of Cheil Worldwide
A video featuring bicycle influencer CJ PARK (Park Chan-jong), who completed a 294-kilometer ride from Jeongdongjin in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, to Jeongseojin in Incheon, with a prosthetic leg on his left side, has gone viral online.
The video, created by Cheil Worldwide for Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra "Go Ultra Challenge" campaign, has surpassed 6.5 million views on Wednesday, just three weeks after its release. The campaign showcases various influencers undertaking extreme challenges.
CJ PARK, who was an active cycling YouTuber, lost his left leg in a tragic accident in 2022 when he was struck by a 5-ton truck while cycling home from work.
The video captures his journey across the Korean Peninsula, including scenes of him struggling to climb the winding hilly roads of Daegwallyeong and removing his sweat-soaked prosthetic leg at the Muui Rest Area in Hoengseong County, a mountainous region in Gangwon Province, showing the harsh challenges he faces and how he overcomes come.
Despite the video being only three minutes long, it has resonated with many viewers, evoking a wave of supportive and encouraging comments online.
In the video, CJ PARK shares his thoughts through a heartfelt narration: "Even when I don't have the strength to hold the handlebars, the joy of riding keeps me going. What's the reason not to take on any challenge? Start your challenge now."
Reflecting on the experience, CJ PARK said, "I accomplished a challenge I had always wanted to take on. There were moments when I doubted whether I could finish, but completing the journey made me realize that it was worth taking on the challenge."
CJ PARK currently operates a YouTube channel with around 86,000 subscribers. He is known as the "prosthetic leg cycling YouTuber."
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.