2020 has shown us just how important our health and wellbeing are. Not only should we maintain good physical health, but we should also nurture a healthy mindset. With so much turmoil in the world, here are the individuals in the health and wellness industry who are stepping out and providing a helping hand to those struggling with their bodies or minds.
Moonie Chu, Hong Kong national fencing athlete
Moonie Chu started fencing when she was just eight years old. At the ripe old age of 14 she began training with the Hong Kong National team and went on to compete and win Bronze for Hong Kong in the 2014 and 2018 Asian Games. As she entered her third year of university, Chu decided to become a full-time athlete, completing her studies on a part-time basis, a major turning point in her athletic career.
“Getting used to the idea that fencing was my career instead of my hobby was difficult,” she admits. “I had to learn how to prioritise my training, my studies as well as spending time with family and friends. It took me over a year to adjust to the new lifestyle.”
With all major competitions and events cancelled due to Covid-19, Chu took the opportunity to focus on aspects of training, such as her cardiovascular fitness. “This pandemic has forced us to take a break and focus on the things we have been neglecting,” she says. “The outbreak has also shown us that anything can change overnight. Having a flexible mindset has allowed me to overcome the emotional rollercoaster of unforeseen circumstances.”
Utah Lee, Nike Master Trainer
Starting her career as a fashion designer, Utah Lee fell in love with fitness and has been in the business since 2000. Lee has taken the fitness and modeling world by storm with her training sessions and events on and off the camera. After the birth of her first son, Lee initially found it difficult to find her place in the fitness industry, but she motivated herself to get back out there. “It’s important to stay humble and keep learning. There is always someone who is smarter than you, stronger than you and younger than you.”
Like many, the pandemic forced Lee to cancel many of her face-to-face classes and spend more time at home. “I had to learn how to ‘live’ with my family since everyone’s always at home,” she says. By embracing new platforms, like Zoom, Lee was able to maintain traction with her business and encourage her clients to keep a fit and healthy lifestyle while in lockdown.
After 20 years in the industry Lee has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. “I am with everybody else through the pandemic. Classes and events got cancelled. I just have to be positive and keep moving. Ten burpees please, right now.”
Lindsay Varty, former professional rugby player and author
Inspired by her older brother, Lindsay Varty found her passion for rugby at the age of 12. Five years later, she was asked to join the Hong Kong Women’s Sevens team, a role she took up for the next 13 years. “In 2013, our team went professional and I got to play rugby for a living,” says Varty. “It was the most amazing time and we got to travel the world, representing our little city at tournaments in countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and Uzbekistan.”
Her journey has not always been smooth sailing, though. Varty has dislocated her shoulder about eight times and has had two surgeries to fix it. “But as my mum always told me, no scars, no stories,” Varty laughs.
Alongside her professional rugby career, Varty wanted to showcase her appreciation for the city. “I have lived here since I was 20 days old, so for me, Hong Kong has always been home,” she says. Varty spent three years interviewing people from Hong Kong’s disappearing traditional industries, including shoe shiners, face threaders and knife sharpeners for her book Sunset Survivors, which was published in 2018.
“Hong Kong is a fantastic place to succeed, there are so many passionate and intelligent people crammed into one tiny place, all looking for things to do and learn.”
Ankie Beilke, actress, yoga teacher and model
Born and raised in Germany, Ankie Beilke started her acting and modelling career at the early age of two and appeared in a US-produced movie by the time she was seven. Beilke moved to New York when she was 18-years-old to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology and The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. This was also where she discovered her passion for yoga and had the opportunity to practice with many influential yogis. She moved to Hong Kong in 2017 to reconnect with her Chinese roots and explore more modelling opportunities.
As the daughter of actress and movie producer Lau Heung-ping, Beilke admits that there were difficulties growing up in the limelight. “I struggled with insecurities and was bullied at school for the characters my mother played,” she says. To add to that, the constant pressure to stay skinny in the modelling industry led Beilke to develop bulimia.
She credits yoga for guiding her through that difficult time. “Practicing yoga helped me reconnect with myself and learn to accept who I was. It transformed me into a stronger, will-powered and calmer person,” she says.
While this year has been tough on many, Beilke’s love for the outdoors helped her remain positive. “Nature is what helped me to stay positive and luckily Hong Kong has a lot of it.” With gyms open again Beilke can continue her classes both in the studio and on zoom and is set to work on several film projects in Europe later this year.
Amanda Li, clinical psychologist and co-founder of StoryTaler
Wanting to fight the stigma around mental health in Hong Kong, Amanda Li and her mentor Professor Winnie Mak Wing-sze, co-founded StoryTaler in 2015. The social action group, which connects individuals interested in the topic of mental health, started out as a Facebook page where members could share simple illustrations, short films and personal stories about their emotional wellbeing.
The group expanded into live events in their first year and hosted its first Storytelling Day, attracting over 200 participants. “It’s encouraging to see people gain a better understanding of mental health and change their attitudes towards people with mental illnesses after our workshop. Many participants were even moved to tears at the end of our sharing session,” says Li.
By encouraging individuals who are experiencing or have experienced mental health challenges to share their personal stories, Li hopes to start the conversation around mental health especially during these tough times. “What is happening in the world and our community can be saddening and demoralising. It’s important to stay connected with people you care about and like-minded individuals so that we can support each other.”
Tanya Pakhomova, founder of My Perfect Body and iPedicure
Tanya Pakhomova started her career in the fashion industry, modelling for designer brands in Paris before moving to Hong Kong in 2010. “I had a successful modelling career, I walked for many famous brands, but after visiting Hong Kong I decided to find myself in something different,” she says.
After two years of living and working in the city, the Ukraine native spotted a gap in the beauty market and decided to open her beauty salon, My Perfect Body. “Bringing new technology and a Western vision to the city allowed us to gain popularity in the market,” she says.
While Pakhomova doesn’t believe Hong Kong is the easiest place to succeed, she believes there are advantages to being a foreign entrepreneur. “Unlike other countries, who put restrictions on foreigners opening a business, Hong Kong welcomes entrepreneurs and provides them with the tools to grow successfully with little stress in the registry process,” she says.
It’s a far cry from her days in Ukraine where professional sports dominated much of her adolescent life. But the lessons she took from sports have been valuable in her business journey. “The first lesson every coach teaches is about teamwork. It’s crucial when it comes to business. And, of course, it taught me how to fail.” That last lesson has been particularly important throughout 2020, with much of the year being paused amid tough social distancing rules.
Always the optimist, Pakhomova has used her time wisely. “Your business cannot run well if you don’t recharge your batteries, this time away has given us more time to rest and relax in preparation for the future.”
Dee Oh, founder of Dee Dream Life
Leaving her career as an investment banker in 2016, Dee Oh wanted to find a career path that added value to others’ lives while maximising her own potential. Her journey led her to founding Dee Dream Life, a fitness, yoga, dance and life coaching community with a focus on creating a positive and supportive place for all ages and social statuses.
“Life comes as it is meant to, I have no expectations nor disappointments, just pure gratitude,” Oh says.
No matter what life throws at Oh, she always keeps a positive attitude, which has brought her to where she is today and even helped her through the uncertainty of 2020. “Every moment free from routine is an opportunity to work on things we don’t normally have time for, reinventing ourselves and taking up a new hobby.”
Throughout this year Oh has managed to finish a further training course on yoga therapy niches, including ayurveda, pre-and post-natal, kids yoga and tantra meditation in New York, learnt the piano and even had time to read. “Where there is adversity, there is opportunity, if we train our minds to always look out for the light in every unexpected situation.”
Damien Mouellic, founder of Central and Stanley Wellness
Since opening his second Hong Kong-based clinic, Central Wellness in just three months, this year has been busy for Damien Mouellic – Osteopath. His clinics, based in Stanley and Central, offer a range of treatments from osteopathy and physiotherapy to hypnotherapy and counselling for children and adults.
As an Osteopath and business owner, Mouellic believes the key is to have a comprehensive view of your business. “I like to treat my business the same way I would treat my patients – with patience, integrity and care. I believe that has been crucial to the growth of my practice,” he says.
While his clinics had to close for a month due to the pandemic, Mouellic was determined to support his staff and used the time to connect with his team and focus on marketing and new product development. “When there’s harmony in the team, you feel it around you when you enter the clinic. It’s important to keep up the momentum even when business is down so that when things pick up, you’re ready to go stronger than ever,” he says.
Davinia Tang, founder of DAVISAGE Beauty Limited
For Davinia Tang, the road to success was long and arduous. It literally started with a bang on the road in England, when she was involved in a hit and run accident. She survived, but sustained facial injuries including a fractured cheekbone, broken nose and lots of swelling and bruising. To top it off, the NHS doctors didn’t provide surgery as an option, instead recommending facial physiotherapy as a quicker, more effective recovery method. “But what started as a lowlight turned out to be a blessing in disguise,” says Tang.
“It was life-changing to experience all the benefits of facial exercises and massage techniques firsthand, to see myself recover fully and to enjoy the amazing anti-aging, beautifying effects too.” Fuelled with this knowledge, she and her brother (a specialist general surgeon with extensive experience in head and neck surgeries) started their journey into facial exercises and massage tools for both recovery and anti-aging purposes.
Today, she uses proven technology and scientific techniques to help people retain their youthful looks, empowering them to live younger at every age. “It’s such a privilege being able to share our products with the world, and seeing the positive effects from our customers are definitely the highlights of our journey so far.”
Ken Fung, clinical psychologist, relationship therapist and founder of Your Relationship Clinic
After successfully establishing his social media-based clinic, Your Relationship Clinic in 2013, Clinical psychologist Dr. Ken Fung has helped his followers around Asia through their relationship troubles. Through Instagram and Facebook, Fung has been able to share his relationship advice and knowledge to those who may be suffering.
“I wanted to help students or less privileged people who may not be able to afford professional help from therapists to express their emotional needs,” says Fung. After going through a divorce himself in 2018, Fung believes he has become a more understanding therapist. “I’ve learnt to put my own agenda aside to earn the trust and respect of my clients. No one can be influential without being willing to be influenced first,” he says.
The past year has been tough on many people in Hong Kong and Fung tried to support in every way he could. “During the social unrest, people put their trust in me and shared their experiences. Many young people witnessed traumatising scenes and I’m glad I could help them in some way.”
Check out the full list of Hong Kong Living Influencer Award finalists here
