Mulan's spirit lives on

Hua Mulan seems to have been reborn in a 16-year-old Hong Kong student. Just like the legendary heroine, Juanita Mok Uen-ying is tough as nails.

Juanita is a reigning tai chi junior world champion and a member of the Hong Kong junior tai chi team. Before the World Junior Championships in Singapore last year, she fractured her left ankle. She didn't back down and, despite her injury, went on to win two champion's crowns in the women's 24 forms of tai chi quan and tai chi jian.

The Form Four student from Holy Family Canossian College says she can't live without tai chi. Not even an injury will slow her down.

'It was painful but I didn't want to stop training,' she says, adding that she went through a course of physiotherapy to help her recover fast enough for the championships.

Juanita's devil-may-care attitude sometimes worries her mother, Maria Chan. 'I'd like her to take a rest sometimes, but I know my daughter,' Chan says. 'I fully stand by her, whatever decision she takes.'

Her father, who is also a tai chi fan, says Juanita was tough even as a young girl. 'When Juanita was eight, I took her to learn basic wushu skills. Her body was not supple enough yet, and during a warm-up, she began crying because she was in pain. But she persisted,' he says.

The girl's first coach was famous tai chi master Li Fai, who saw potential in her. Soon enough, Juanita went on to win a team champion's title with other beginners in a local competition.