Born without fingers on his left hand, Brett Hillier didn’t let his handicap stop him turning pro – and now he passes on his life lessons to his students.

A lifelong passion for white water has seen Winn become central to the conservation effort in China and he is effecting real change in policy

Fatima Deryan becomes the first Lebanese woman to climb Everest but is stuck behind inexperienced climbers, one leans on her in the queues

Mike Dobie has created a trad climbing mecca in Liming, Yunnan, but when he first arrived in China he was struggling with alcoholism.

Chinese runner bursts onto the trail running scene, but is now focused on shorter distances and marathon running.

Andrea Gianni surprised to see Chinese people taking part in skimo, and starts a club as a result

Du Mingrui says running tourism will grow as Chinese people ‘want more of everything’.

The famous race in Chamonix has reduced the number of points needed for each race

One of Hong Kong’s top runners put her success down to a lack of time forcing shorter, sharper sessions and miles through the legs gained by ultras

• Growing middle class could be ripe for road cycling

American runner is focused on fun as he racks up bizarre world records, including fancy dress marathon and marathon with a pram

Shen Jiasheng lives and trains with Chinese stars Qi Min and Yao Miao, but the 24-year-old is emerging from their shadow at the UTMB and HK100

Eoin Flynn quit his desk job to pursue a simpler life, and ended up announcing the winners of the world’s most famous ultra marathon

The world record marathon runner believes no one diet fits all, and runners should stick to what they believe in

Unlike professional models and performers in China’s tier-one cities, ‘white monkeys’ in the smaller cities get by just being white, handsome, blond and blue-eyed at bizarre corporate promotional events.

As rhino populations collapse, decimated by poaching for horn, the Entabeni Safari Conservancy in South Africa is establishing an ultramarathon to support rhino conservation at which Chinese runners are especially welcome.

Fatima Deryan says she ‘evolved’ her family so they would support her climbing projects as other women in Middle East are shackled by guilt

Liang Huguo from Yunnan, southwest China, was always fit and never smoked or drank. He took up cycle racing after retirement, and two years ago began running. He has since done 23 marathons and is having the time of his life.

Despite the technical and exposed course, she still finishes as the sixth fastest woman and 29th overall

The owner of A Team EdVentures, Anthony Somerset helps accustom highly urbanised young people to the great outdoors, putting them in challenging situations that require courage to overcome.

Zuicool has one million active users as well as millions of visitors a month who are looking to register for races and buy the latest running gear

From humble beginnings, Liang Jing is now competing with the best and working on his character to avoid a repeat of last year’s disqualification

Gary Leung Siu-wai from Hong Kong says he is not even slightly worried about the non-stop race across the rocky and mountainous expanses of the Gobi Desert. Fellow ultrarunners are more concerned about his guide.

A cruise tour guide expands his Chinese vocabulary, and when he jokes about opening a Chinese restaurant in the islands, his tour group offer to be his investors.