Decade after divorce, woman finds new life on two wheels

Cyclist transformed by experience, seeks to inspire others via livestreams

For many enthusiasts, cycling is a good way to increase physical strength. But for Li Dongju, it is also a way to improve her psychological state.

Since her first long-distance trip to Southeast Asia in November 2014, the 65-year-old retiree from an automaker in Zhengzhou, Henan province, has cycled to different regions in China — including the Xinjiang Uygur, Tibet and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous regions and the provinces of Qinghai, Hainan, Guangdong, Hubei and Jiangsu — as well as 12 countries around the world, including France, Thailand and New Zealand.

Li's passion for cycling was born out of the breakdown of her marriage. "I will never forget how shocked I was when my husband asked for a divorce in 2005," Li said. "Despite how simple and dull our daily lives were, I never thought we would go through that kind of change."