Ex-China gymnast ‘regains dignity’ after paying off family’s debt through cultural videos
Wu Liufang’s content on Douyin features her in traditional Chinese clothing promoting cultural heritage dances to her followers
Former world champion gymnast Wu Liufang said she has “regained her dignity” after paying off her family’s debt through her cultural heritage dance videos on social media.
The 31-year-old said in a video interview published by a mainland news outlet on Wednesday that the medical costs to treat her parents’ illnesses totalled about 400,000 yuan (US$55,000), which made life difficult for her family in her hometown of Liuzhou, Guangxi.
Wu won multiple World Cup titles on the balance beam and uneven bars for China, but her Olympic dream was ended after a neck injury during the 2012 London trials forced her to retire after the National Games a year later. She then enrolled at Beijing Sport University.
Her employment path after graduation was rocky. She joined a sports company for 5,000 yuan a month, but the firm withheld wages in her second year. Subsequent jobs paid less, and a promised permanent government post never materialised.
She eventually obtained a dance teacher certificate to work as an instructor. However, unable to find a well-paid job to pay off the debt, Wu admitted she even considered dancing in nightclubs before choosing live streaming.
She initially tried to build a personal brand as a retired gymnast, taking four years to reach 40,000 followers.