Former world champion athlete Wu Liufang said he has “restored his dignity” after paying off his family’s debt through his heritage dance videos on social media.
The 31-year-old said in a video interview published by a mainland media outlet on Wednesday that the medical costs of treating her parents’ illnesses reached 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 ended after a neck injury during the 2012 London trials forced her to retire after the National Games a year later. Then he joined Beijing Sports University.
His path to employment after graduation was difficult. He joined a sports company for 5,000 yuan a month, but the company withheld his salary in his second year. Subsequent jobs paid less, and the promised permanent government post never materialized.
Eventually she got a dance teacher’s certificate to work as a teacher. However, unable to find a well-paying job to pay off the debt, Wu admitted he even considered dancing in nightclubs before opting for live streaming.
He initially tried to build a personal brand as a retired gymnast, and it took four years to reach 40,000 followers.
