At 33, Daniel Lee has broken his bones over 30 times.
Born with osteogenesis imperfecta (known as brittle bones disease), he stopped walking as a toddler and was carried by his mother until he was 10 years old.
“We grew up without much, having to pay for hospital stays and surgeries. My family could only afford a wheelchair for me when I was 10,” the Malaysian said.
As a young boy, he was called a cripple by classmates and even remembers a comic strip that was drawn mocking his condition.
“It was only when I became a Christian that I realised my life was not a mistake,” shared Daniel, now a motivational speaker, athlete and advocate for all-ability sports.
In 2013, Daniel successfully completed a 100km ultra-marathon in his wheelchair with two friends, raising RM169,000 (around SGD47,857) for a refugee NGO in Malaysia.
In 2013, he represented Malaysia at the Asian Youth Para Games in the sport of sitting volleyball.
It’s a far cry from the future one would have predicted for the young man whose life growing up was marked by trial and change.
Growing up in tough times
Daniel grew up in a small Pahang town. His grandfather had Type 1 osteogenesis imperfecta, as did his father.
His sisters also live with the condition, but Daniel was the only one who required a wheelchair.
“Dad was an English tutor and worked odd jobs; Mum stayed home to take care of the three of us. They’d borrow money from loan sharks for my hospital bills,” Daniel remembers.
At one period, six loan sharks would show up at their doorstep every day asking for payment.
“Although it was a tough life, my parents never treated us as if we were different. My father taught me to never settle; I competed only against myself,” he said.
Exploring faith
Home was a safe space for the young boy. However, his parents were not committed to any faith.
Daniel’s father became a Christian in the early years while his mother did not.
But one day, when Daniel was around nine years old, his father made a big announcement.
“Dad always bought lottery tickets, and one night he randomly told Guan Yu (the Chinese god of war), “If you let me win the lottery, I’ll come back to you.” The next day, he won RM4,000. So overnight, we became Buddhists,” he said.
As a young boy, Daniel threw himself into their newfound religion. He embraced its practices and would recite meditations daily.
Year after year, life seemed smooth and without hiccups. Healthwise, Daniel accepted the fact that he needed corrective surgery to live a normal life.
By 14 years old, Daniel had undergone a number of surgeries.
But on this occasion, disaster struck.
From despair to hope
“It was four days after my birthday, the day I was to be discharged. Dad had come to the hospital to pick me up, but he started vomiting and collapsed. He was brought to emergency for a heart attack,” Daniel said.
That day, Daniel’s father died and overnight, life changed.
“From being a stay-at-home mum to children with chronic illness, Mum now had to find work. So she moved us to Jerantut, Pahang, to work with my aunt,” he said.
At first, Daniel sank into a cycle of self-blame, wondering what he had done wrong to receive this bad karma.
But God had His loving hand upon Daniel’s life, for with the move to Jerantut came something entirely new: Christian classmates.
Transformed by God’s love
Back in his hometown, Daniel had been one of the few ethnic Chinese and all of his friends were of another faith.
In Jerantut, however, he suddenly found himself in the company of Christians.
“There I was at 14, unable to speak Chinese and having to fend off assumptions that I was Christian because of my name,” he said.
He was invited to church and incessantly offered opportunities to accept Jesus as His Lord and Saviour by gung-ho teenagers.
But it was only when he was 16 years old that he accepted Jesus, and he knew that it was the Lord who moved his heart.
“So many shared the gospel with charisma and charm, but I stood my ground. In the end, it was an emotionless, robotic delivery by a visiting youth leader that brought me to tears. I knew it was God,” he said.
Again, God’s timing was perfect. Daniel obtained a scholarship and that year, moved to Kuala Lumpur to begin his studies in psychology.
Discovering the leader and sportsman within
“My college CF (Christian Fellowship) president, Wen Lin, was the first person who gave me my first ever leadership role as an Alpha facilitator. For the first time, I was seen and it built me up greatly,” he shared.
It was also in CF that he experienced love in practical ways.
A group of leaders from Acts Church who visited his CF regularly had observed his old, tattered wheelchair and offered to raise funds to buy him a new one for Christmas.
That year, he received his first sports wheelchair and connected with Alex Au-Yong, a seasoned runner who would go on to be one of Daniel’s partners and encouragers in the sport.
It was with Alex and another friend, Kyle, that he completed the XtraMile, a 100km ultramarathon, in 17 hours.
His CF friends who bought him the wheelchair had been from Acts Church, so he began worshipping there.
That was over a decade ago, and this year he’ll mark 11 years serving in the Acts Church’s children’s ministry.
Advocating for all-ability sports
“When God gives a vision, He always refines it. But sometimes, He redefines it,” Daniel said.
After his first leadership role, he realised that when he spoke, people listened.
At first, he thought God was calling him to be a pastor.
But then he discovered the world of sports and realised he could use his voice to inspire others.
Today, he works with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as an All Ability Sports coordinator. He is also a global facilitator for ReadySetGo, a global Christian sport ministry movement.
“In church, it’s often compassion ministries that manage people with disabilities. You’d rarely see someone in a wheelchair leading worship. And when you attend a sports day, often there’s no room for us. Many think they’re being compassionate by allowing us to ‘sit out’. But that’s not empowering,” he said.
He hopes to normalise All Ability Sports in churches and Christian ministries by building an inclusive environment for believers of all abilities.
Daniel is so passionate about this cause that he founded a movement, Push to Inspire.
In our Maker, we find our purpose
“I started Push to Inspire as an advocacy platform to move beyond perceived limitations and fulfil one’s God-given potential. I came up with this name because I had to push [my wheelchair] to inspire others,” he explained.
Through Push to Inspire, Daniel carries out speaking engagements and has spoken to over 10,000 people through his various talks so far.
But more importantly, it’s a platform to create awareness and conduct All Ability Sports events, such as a sports carnival organised last year.
“Motivational speaking pays very well, honestly. If I was chasing money, I’d just do that. But when we know our purpose, it becomes easier to make decisions in life. I know God has called me to this ministry [of all-ability sports],” he said emphatically.
Daniel has activated around 1,500 people through his All Ability initiatives, from people living with disabilities to volunteers, fundraisers and supporters.
Through all of his work, his heart’s desire is for people of all abilities to know that God is personal and that their lives are made with purpose.
“We’re all chasing this sense of purpose, which suggests Someone gave us each a purpose. A hammer can be a good paperweight, but only its maker can reveal its true potential. So we must start by looking to our Maker,” he said.
Daniel cites Isaiah 40:27-31 as reflective of his journey, from one being frustrated with a seemingly uncaring God to realising His majesty, whose “understanding no one can fathom” (v28).
The passage could’ve ended there, but it didn’t.
“Instead, it ends with the corrected revelation of who God is and what His character really looks like: a God who cares for us and renews our strength,” he said.
It is this God — a personal God who knew each of us before we were born — whom Daniel hopes to share through his ministry and work.
His life is a living testimony of his words, which makes this young man’s voice so powerful.
And he knows this is his God-given purpose because when he speaks, people listen.
All photos provided by Daniel Lee. This article was first published on Salt&Light.
