Stephanie Au, Tony Wu and 3 other Hong Kong athletes who are now actors, models and Instagram influencers
From the pool and the track, sports stars including Nicholas Choi, Cecilia Yeung and Yvette Kong are now on the catwalk and in the spotlight
Hong Kong’s young sportsmen and women are expanding their stardom beyond the arenas. Some of them are using their charisma and gaining strong fan followings online. STYLE takes a look at the city’s top five athletes turned digital influencers.
Stephanie Au @stephaniehsau
The three-time Olympian came into the public spotlight representing Hong Kong as the flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The 28-year-old swimmer is a record holder for the Hong Kong national long course in the 400m, 800m and 1,500m freestyle.
Set to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, Au now juggles her professional training with a modelling career and as a digital influencer. She has earned 131,000 followers on Instagram and has been tapped by luxury brands including Louis Vuitton and Chanel for collaborations.
Nicholas Choi @nicholas_edward
The young Olympian fencer might have hung up his foil in 2018, but he continues to stay active in the public eye. He first represented Hong Kong in the 2012 London Olympics as the youngest member of the Hong Kong Olympic team and continued to score medals at various international contests. Choi is also good friends with singer Jackson Wang who was a former member of the Hong Kong fencing team as well.
A mix of Korean, Chinese and Filipino, the 27-year-old athlete is fluent in Korean and Chinese. Attracted to fashion since he was young, Choi loves experimenting with various styles from different cultures and taking risks in styling uniquely. With his good looks and charming personality, Choi’s got a good shot to unleash his potential in show business.