Leaders Spotlight : Ryan Yan
In our 10th year of sweating and connecting we are sharing stories from our dedicated and passionate volunteers.
Introducing Ryan Yan, a dedicated volunteer with FitFam Shanghai at the epic Lujiazui Adventure Run. Before 2019, Ryan had already clocked some serious kilometers. After joining FitFam, he dove into races and competitions and even started expanding his fitness knowledge with certifications.
Tell us about yourself
My name is Ryan Yan. I’m from Hunan, China. In order to pretend that I’m smarter than I actually am, I got my master’s degree in computer science from the US. Professionally, I’ve worked in SaaS, helping global brands understand what people are saying online - basically turning social media chaos into business insights. I also used to be a public speaking champion at Microsoft Shanghai, which means I was once officially rewarded for talking too much. When I’m not working, I enjoy playing video games and occasionally speaking in public to share ideas, tell jokes, and make fun of serious things in a socially acceptable way.
Before FitFam became a big part of my life, I was a runner, had 3000+ KMs on Nike Run Club, but nothing else. FitFam changed that. It gave me a place to show up consistently, meet people with the same energy, and become more serious about fitness without losing the fun. I’m still very much on the journey - not the fastest runner, not the strongest athlete, and definitely not the person who looks graceful during burpees. But I’ve learned to enjoy the process, stay curious, and keep showing up.
Your first FitFam workout
I first joined FitFam LJZ in spring 2019, when I was working at a WeWork near Lujiazui. A Toastmasters friend convinced me to try one workout. Classic mistake. One workout became another. Then another. Soon I was voluntarily showing up outdoors to run, jump, sweat, suffer, and call it “a great Monday night.” What first attracted me was the LJZ Adventure Run: the beautiful riverside view, the energetic outdoor format, and the high-intensity training that made me question my life choices just the right amount. It felt serious enough to challenge me, but relaxed enough that I didn’t feel I had to prove anything. But the real reason I stayed was the people. My first impression was simple: “These people are jacked, but friendly. Let me be around them.”
FitFam had this rare mix of discipline and warmth. People were strong, positive, and driven, but never intimidating. You could be fast, slow, experienced, completely new, or just trying to survive the warm-up - and still feel welcome. That feeling made a huge difference. It turned FitFam from “a workout I tried once” into a community I wanted to return to again and again. It felt like fitness with scenery, accountability, and actual human connection.
The FitFam Impact
FitFam gave me more than workouts. It gave me rhythm. Running became part of my week. Strength and cardio became part of my lifestyle. Training outdoors with a team gave me a different kind of energy - the kind you do not get from silently negotiating with yourself in a gym mirror. More importantly, FitFam connected me with people who live active, healthy, and positive lives. That environment changes you. You show up more consistently, challenge yourself more often, and realize fitness is not just about looking better or performing better. It is about living better. Along the way, FitFam became the foundation for major milestones in my fitness journey. I completed all major Spartan race formats: 5K Sprint, 10K Super, 21K Beast, and the 12-hour Hurricane Heat. I also stepped into HYROX, completing Relay and Men’s Single, and I’m currently training for Mixed Double. At the same time, I started pursuing professional fitness education, including ACE Personal Trainer, Spartan SGX Trainer, Posture Correction, 50+ population Functional Training, the list goes on. These milestones are not just titles. They represent a deeper transformation in how I approach fitness, training, and life.
Becoming a FitFam leader
After consistently showing up to LJZ Adventure Run since early 2023, I started feeling that I wanted to contribute more. FitFam had given me structure, friendships, motivation, and countless chances to sweat through my shirt in public. Becoming a volunteer leader felt like a natural next step - partly because I wanted to give back, and partly because apparently I enjoy creating workouts that make people question their friendship with me. I signed up in late 2023 and led my first workout on January 1, 2024. Honestly, it was the best New Year’s kickoff ever. Some people start the year with resolutions. I started mine by making other people do burpees. Becoming a FitFam Leader pushed me to hold myself to a higher standard. I was no longer just joining workouts; I was helping create the experience for others. It also pushed me to keep learning. My own training expanded from pure running into HIIT, OCR, bodybuilding, powerlifting, and functional training. I started bringing ideas from different training systems into our sessions, trying to make workouts challenging, creative, and fun. Well, “fun” in the FitFam sense: you may hate it during the workout, but you’ll be weirdly grateful afterward. The support from other leaders and participants has made the journey truly rewarding.
Why join FitFam?
For anyone thinking about joining FitFam, my advice is simple: come try it once.
You do not need to be fast, fit, or experienced. You do not even need to understand why people choose to run along the Lujiazui riverside on a Monday night and then do squats. You just need to show up. The hardest part is usually deciding to come for the first time. After that, you will find people running at different paces, modifying movements, laughing through the suffering, and cheering each other on. That is the magic of FitFam: it gives you a place to start, a team to move with, and a reason to come back.
Should I become a FitFam leader?
For future leaders, leadership here is not about being the strongest person in the group. It is about showing up, caring about others, and helping the community grow, one session at a time. So if you have been telling yourself “maybe next time,” this is your sign.
Join us at FitFam Lujiazui riverside Adventure Run, Monday night. Come once. Run once. Sweat once. At worst, you get a great workout and a great view. At best, it becomes the start of a healthier, happier, more active version of you.
