Zhang Hongying (right) accompanies her running partner, Zhang Qian, on the track at Jinggangshan University on Dec 14, 2025. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Student volunteers in Jiangxi guide runners with visual impairments, helping them build confidence, independence and lasting friendships through the shared power of running.
When Zhang Hongying first put on a blindfold to experience what it is like to be blind, she froze, her heart racing.
"I couldn't take a single step. There's an instinctive fear when you face the unknown," she recalled.
At the time, Zhang was training as a new volunteer with the Red Stars Charity Program, an initiative based in Ji'an, Jiangxi province, which supports runners who are blind or have low vision. Now 20, Zhang has been volunteering with the program for a year. Every Sunday morning, she joins a group of runners in a riverside park in Ji'an.
Before working with participants, volunteers complete a three-week guide-running course, including one session conducted entirely in darkness.
As a dental student, Zhang had had little contact with people with vision loss. At first, she assumed her role would be straightforward: point out obstacles and give clear directions so the runners could focus on their pace.
"But when I was plunged into darkness, I realized that these runners are placing not just their bodies, but their full trust in you," she said.
Hu Liang (first from left) leads a visually impaired runner in warm-up exercises on June 2, 2024. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Hu Liang, the founder of Red Stars and an associate professor at Jinggangshan University (JGSU) in Jiangxi province, has visual impairment himself. Born to parents who were both completely blind, he developed severe myopia that gradually worsened until he could see little more than blurred shapes.
Hu said those years were extremely difficult until running helped him rebuild both his physical and mental strength. Later, when he learned that blind athletes at the Paralympic Games competed with the help of guide runners, he had a revelation: running could open new possibilities for people like him, who had lost their sight.
In 2022, Hu founded Red Stars. The name draws inspiration from the revolutionary history of the Jinggangshan area and symbolizes perseverance and hope. Most of the program's volunteers are JGSU students who come from all over China.
"They are like little stars, coming together to shine for a shared cause: supporting people with visual impairments," Hu said.
The program connects volunteers and runners through a guide rope — a sports neck gaiter twisted into a figure-eight.
(Left) At a running event for people with visual impairments in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, Chen Xinping (third from left) crosses the finish line on April 12 with guide runner Hu Liang (second from right). [Photo provided to China Daily]
"It's a clever design," said Chen Xinping, a runner who lost his sight in 2010. "If I drift off course, the rope tightens slightly and gently guides me back. It allows volunteers to lead us without taking over, so we can truly enjoy the run ourselves."
Before joining Red Stars, Chen rarely left home without the support of family members. But the program gave him the confidence to venture beyond his familiar surroundings.
Originally from Shangrao in Jiangxi province, Chen celebrated his 60th birthday in April by setting a personal record at a Red Stars event in Nanchang, the provincial capital, where he completed six kilometers.
"The lives of people with visual impairments are like a long march," Chen said. "Red Stars helped us find our starting point and take the first steps on a new journey."
Strengthening bonds
For many participants, the benefits of Red Stars go far beyond the running track, including physical strength, confidence, and independence.
One of them is Zhang Qian, who experienced depression after losing his eyesight in his 30s. Initially, he doubted whether running was even possible, given that he often bumps into things while walking. Despite his reservations, he decided to give it a try.
With the steady support of his guide runners, Zhang has made progress step by step. "I went from just a few kilometers at the beginning to 10 kilometers now," he said.
Zhang Qian's regular guide runner is Zhang Hongying, who has grown alongside him. Before joining Red Stars, she could barely run two kilometers. This past winter, she completed a half marathon.
"It's the determination of the runners that keeps me going. They treasure every opportunity to run and always give their best," she said. "We are not merely helpers and those being helped — we're friends who achieve things together."
Man Xinyuan (left) guides a friend with visual impairment during a run on Sept 8, 2024. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Man Xinyuan, 23, a senior at JGSU and a volunteer with Red Stars, believes the runners need to be treated as equals and offered genuine companionship.
He recalled accompanying a runner with vision loss to a marathon in Zunyi, Guizhou province, in 2023. Man wanted to take photos for him, but his partner declined, explaining that his phone's screen reader can only read text, so images mean nothing to him.
"Don't worry — I'll help you 'see' them," Man replied. He later sent detailed text descriptions of each photo so his partner could imagine the event.
According to Man, Red Stars feels like a family, with people supporting each other both on and off the track. As an environmental design major, he drew inspiration from the program for his graduation project: an inclusive kindergarten designed with accessibility in mind. He also hopes to create a comprehensive visual identity for Red Stars.
"Students from different academic backgrounds contribute in many ways and grow through the experience," Hu said.
Design students create patterns for guide ropes and team uniforms, psychology students offer emotional support, and sports science students lead rehabilitation exercises.
"As a teacher, it is incredibly rewarding to watch students grow from freshmen into capable, confident, and determined young adults," Hu added.
Expanding reach
What began as a small campus initiative has since developed into a much broader support network.
Red Stars now has nearly 4,000 volunteers, has organized close to 300 events, and has served over 30,000 people who are blind or have low vision.
In 2024, Hu established a rehabilitation center to support people who lost their eyesight later in life, expanding the initiative far beyond running.
"This has been made possible by national policies," Hu said. He noted that in late 2023, the China Disabled Persons' Federation directed every province and region to establish at least one service center for each type of disability beginning in 2024.
Red Stars' center is located on the campus of JGSU, which provides space and equipment free of charge. The 1,000-square-meter facility includes tactile pathways, a sports zone, a Braille library, and life-skills spaces designed to help participants relearn daily tasks in a safe environment.
Zhang Qian benefited greatly from the center, gaining orientation and mobility skills that now allow him to travel independently. "I used to wait at home until my family had time to take me out," he said. "Now I can go wherever I need to on my own."
Zhang Qian now works as a trainer at the center, helping others learn how to navigate life without sight.
The Red Stars model is also expanding beyond JGSU. In Yudu county, also in Jiangxi province, a new running group for people with visual impairments has been launched with the program's support.
Several other universities have visited JGSU to learn from Red Stars and apply its approach to their own projects, such as audio-described films, accessible design projects, and hiking groups for people with visual impairments.
"The methods may differ, but we share the same goal: bringing society together to support people with disabilities," Hu said.