There aren’t many badminton players who indulge in activities like Chou Tien Chen while waiting for badminton to resume. Two months back, he was donating hand lotion to health care workers. And yesterday, he went to an elementary school in New Taipei City to spend some time with the students there.
Accompanied by his physiotherapist Victoria Kao, Chou shared his knowledge about the importance of stretching exercises after playing badminton.
Epoch Times reports that this is not the first time Chou Tien Chen has visited Yi-Fang Elementary School. He was invited to give a speech here 6 months back, to which he readily agreed. He also gifted bags to the students and shoulder massagers for the school staff.
Chou and Kao gave demonstrations and guided the students on how to properly stretch after playing badminton so that the muscles do not become stiff. Stretching exercises to retain flexibility of the body is paramount in an extremely dynamic sport like badminton.
The world number 2 also entertained some questions from the young students. When asked what he eats to maintain such a strong body, Chou replied, “A nutritious lunch!” Chou’s response was received with a delighted applause by everyone present.
While answering a question from a student, Chou told his story of how he became a professional player. He started playing badminton at the age of 5 and began training at the age of 9. Chou said he trained relentlessly without taking any summer or winter vacations to become a national player by the age of 20.
One of the students asked, “Who is the most feared opponent?” Chou said it was himself as he has to keep beating himself in order to improve.
Chou also shared that his most memorable win was in 2015 when he defeated Lin Dan for the first time at the Taipei Arena. The teachers and students present were reportedly very impressed with the interactive QnA session. The principal hopes Chou’s stories would encourage the children to overcome their own difficulties and achieve success.