‘I must be on the front line’ of coronavirus epidemic,’ China’s bodybuilding traditional Chinese medicine doctor says
- The 30-year-old has been thrust on the front line in the fight against the coronavirus in Qingdao, Shandong province
- The champion bodybuilder has helped hundreds of patients recover but there is a ‘long way to go’
A Chinese female champion bodybuilder is helping to fight the coronavirus in her native Shandong province, using her medical skills as a doctor to help patients recover from the deadly virus.
Yuan Herong is probably China’s most popular bodybuilder at the moment, and it’s not only because of her ripped and massive frame that complements her doll-like features, but because she also practises traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and works in a clinic in China.
And she has been thrust on to the frontline in the battle against the coronavirus outbreak in China that originated in Wuhan, which is about 1,000km from where she lives. She says she’s ready to fight the virus in the long haul.
“I’m a doctor. I must [be] on the front line. [I will] do my best to help the epidemic,” said the 30-year-old Qingdao-born Yuan in her latest Instagram post. Yuan has more than 360,000 Instagram followers, attracting fans to her world of being both a practising medical practitioner and a bodybuilder.
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In an earlier post, she kept fans updated with her medical work, telling followers that she helped 170 patients recover from the virus but there were “almost 16,000 suspected cases to go through”.
Her fans have followed Yuan for a few months now, knowing she dedicates her life to helping others in the clinic where she works, while keeping them informed with her latest bodybuilding training.
Her popularity has soared with the outbreak now that the virus has caught the world’s attention and that doctors such as Yuan are front and centre in the battle against the deadly disease.
“171 cases of new pneumonia were cured and 15,238 suspected cases were found. The healers are all treated through traditional Chinese medicine and other symptomatic treatment. We will try our best to do a good job in prevention and treatment,” she said last week on Instagram.
Yuan shot to fame after posting photos and videos of herself on Instagram last year and has even been dubbed “Chun Li” because of her resemblance to the iconic “Street Fighter” character. She also works as a part-time model and says bodybuilding is her hobby after being encouraged by her parents to become a doctor.
