A goal of healthy fun

Many rural students now regularly participate in the U-Series floorball matches in Shanghai, providing them with valuable sports training and exposure to competition in larger cities.

During the past decades, Chen has dedicated herself to promoting floorball in China. According to data from the Shanghai Floorball Association, Chen and her team have conducted training sessions in almost 200 universities and 2,000 primary schools across at least 28 provinces and municipalities, with many of these primary schools located in rural areas.

"I am also from a rural area. Sports completely transformed my life," Chen said.

As a child, Chen had battled severe asthma and was often confined to her bed. Driven into a corner, her parents sent her to soccer school, hoping that sports could keep her healthy. Most children growing up in Xiapu in East China's Fujian province were enrolled in soccer, a popular sport in the area.

"It was painful at first and I cried a lot in the training base, which was far away from my home," Chen said. "Sports can give not only good health but also build a brave heart, to face challenges and news things in life."

Chen then went on to become vice-captain of the Fujian women's soccer team in the 7th National Games in 1993, after which she tried a new sport, taekwondo, and ranked third in an inaugural national-level championship in 1995.

Her luminous career in sports now includes the high point of introducing floorball to students in thousands of schools nationwide.

Time flies, Chen's identities turned from a young girl playing soccer to strengthen her weak constitution, to a professional athlete, to a university teacher using physical education to help improve others, and now to a promoter of floorball. "One day, sports will give back to you and tell you everything is possible," she said.

Wu Qiling and Jiang Duo contributed to this story.