Leaders Spotlight : Teng Xiaoying (May)
In our 10th year of sweating and connecting we are sharing stories from our dedicated and passionate volunteers.
Introducing May (Teng) Xiaoying, a dedicated volunteer with FitFam Shanghai, Jingan. May was never an athlete growing up, every since finding FitFam in her community she found herself and her confidence, and gone from strength to strength. Now even running UMTB races of 168km.
Tell us about yourself
My name is Teng Xiaoying, and everyone calls me May. I'm from Jinhua, Zhejiang. I joined FitFam in 2018, and apart from the pandemic period, I've never stopped - 1,240 workout check-ins and counting. Exercise has become the most important part of my life.
Your first FitFam workout
To be honest, I never had any athletic talent. In school, I even failed PE. I was - and still am naturally introverted. But in 2018, my family moved near Jing'an Stadium, and I started going for runs by myself. That's when I first noticed a group of people working out on the grass. There were a lot of foreigners back then, and I assumed it was a paid program. Then one day in May- I can't quite remember who introduced me - I learned it was actually a free, purely recreational fitness community. Anyone could join anytime.
From the very first session, I loved it. The vibe was relaxed and fun, every leader was warm and approachable, and even though I couldn't get most of the moves right, I had a great time. I kept showing up, kept practicing, and made a quiet promise to myself: I can do this. Day by day, I persisted- until 2020, when the pandemic hit and we were all stuck at home. By then, working out had become a habit, so I kept going indoors, repeating every move I'd learned at FitFam until the lockdown finally lifted.
June 18, 2022, I remember the date clearly. It was our first post-pandemic session for the North Jing'an group, held at the Blue Bottle Cafe by the Suzhou River. So many people showed up, and the joy was infectious. We were finally free to sweat together again. That night, we celebrated with a group dinner- lots of laughter, lots of drinks, and more than a few people got tipsy. Looking back, that was the moment our North Jing'an bond grew much deeper.
The FitFam Impact
Today, my relationship with the FitFam crew goes beyond friends - they're family, maybe even closer than family. Over these four years, countless mornings have left their mark. Sweating through summer heat is nothing special, but I'll never forget those winter days when the temperature dropped to -5 or -6°C, and at 6 a.m. the stadium was still pitch dark. We trained from night until dawn - those are the moments I'll always treasure.
In the eight years since joining FitFam, I've become a completely different person- healthier, more confident, happier, and surprisingly, much more outgoing. I've built the discipline of waking up at 4:30 a.m. and exercising every single day.
Since 2023, I've logged 7,280 kilometers of running, completed 31 trail races- including 5 UTMB events- and I'm about to take on the 70K group at the Chongli 168 Ultra Trail on July 11, followed by the 60K group in Ninghai this November. And I know there are even bigger goals waiting for me down the road.
Becoming a FitFam leader
Around that time, you, Vy Vu, founder of FitFam suggested I try leading a session. But honestly, I was nervous about doing it alone - my introversion kicked in - so I asked Joanne to co-lead with me. We split the roles: I handled warm-ups and stretches, and she took charge of the main workout. Then in 2024, during a Jing'an leaders' meeting, Gary - probably our earliest and most dedicated leader - proposed that we strengthen the Jing'an Stadium program and keep it running consistently with a leader every single day. That meant Joanne and I had to go solo. I'm grateful to Gary now, because that push forced me to step out of my comfort zone.
Leading on my own brought a whole new level of responsibility. I started preparing my class schedule in advance, writing it down on paper and even practicing the routine at home beforehand. Now, I've memorized it all. At Jing'an Stadium, we have different leaders each day - I lead on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a well- rounded and functional class plan. I also fill in whenever another leader is unavailable, and I often attend outside events to pick up new techniques and bring them back to our community.
Anything else you would like to share?
To anyone still on the fence about joining FitFam, here's what I'd say: this community doesn't care about your age, your nationality, or your fitness level- you can start anytime. Just take that first step. Let yourself fall in love with movement, and slowly, it will become a habit. You will meet a better version of yourself. And the same goes for becoming a volunteer leader- just go for it. Don't be afraid to fail, because every success story is built one step at a time.
