Meet Chen Yi-chen, sports ambassador for the Strong Generation

2024-06-19

We all know that exercise is important at every age. But finding the motivation to get out and get moving can be tough. Sometimes we all need a cheerleader, and that’s where Chen Yi-chen 陳亦珍 comes in. Chen is the sports ambassador for the Strong Generation older people’s campaign. Her story is an unusual one. She had never enjoyed sports, and found exercise difficult as a young woman, due to her flat feet. It was only at the age of 50 that she fell in love with working out. And it was all because she found not only the right sport but folks who encouraged her.

Chen Yi-chen
Strong Generation sports ambassador
I only started to get really into sports when I was 50. Cycling makes you feel like nowhere is off limits, like you have wings.

This 64-year-old cyclist is Chen Yi-chen. She’s glowing with happiness as she pedals her way all over the world.

Chen Yi-chen
Strong Generation sports ambassador
I went cycling in Spain, on the pilgrimage route, for two weeks. I went to Norway, too, and the Shimanami Kaido in Japan. All the famous spots in Taiwan, really: Wuling, Taipingshan, Hsuehshan.

Chen shares her cycling resume proudly. She spent many years working in the magazine industry. She had never liked sports, ever since she was a child, and found it difficult to walk because of her flat feet. After an operation in her 40s, to her complete surprise, she started to fall in love with exercise.

Chen Yi-chen
Strong Generation sports ambassador
My fitness had gotten really bad. I felt tired after just a short walk. I wasn’t sleeping well. The doctor said to me, “Get some exercise.” I thought, “Is there an activity I actually like, a sport I actually enjoy?” I landed on cycling, and then I realized, “This is fun!” Because you don’t have to put your feet on the ground!

Chen likes to go cycling in the afternoon and then hit the gym in the evening. She exercises every single day of the week, swimming, weightlifting, mountain climbing, and cycling. Now she’s a sports ambassador for the “Strong Generation” campaign, tasked with waving the flag for the importance of exercise in middle age and beyond. She’s already got more than 5,000 followers on Facebook, and wants to encourage everyone to get active.

Chen Yi-chen
Strong Generation sports ambassador
It’s not that easy to get everyone outdoors and exercising. You need people to constantly encourage you, and give you a goal.

For Chen, setting goals in her sports regimen is very important. That inspires her to rise to the challenge, and she relishes upending stereotypes about old age. Her next target? Learning to ride a horse.

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容光煥發! 64歲陳亦珍體悟運動重要爬百岳.騎單車

2024-06-19

在雜誌業征戰多年的陳亦珍，一路當到副總經理，不過，退休後生活更精彩，從小不愛運動的她，突然體認到運動的重要性，替自己設立目標，如今64歲的她可以爬百岳、騎百公里單車，比40歲的體能更好，現在她當上"壯世代運動大使"，號召中高齡夥伴一起運動，已經有5千多名社員。

[[壯世代運動大使陳亦珍]]
"50歲的時候才開始這麼投入運動，騎腳踏車會讓你覺得說，你沒有什麼地方不能去，感覺好像長了翅膀"

騎上單車，今年64歲的陳亦珍，整個人容光煥發，這台雙輪帶著她看遍世界風景。

[[壯世代運動大使陳亦珍]]
"去騎過西班牙，去騎過朝聖之旅，去騎了半個月，我也去挪威，有去過日本島波。其實在台灣大概知名的景點，或者說去騎武嶺，去太平山、雪山"

熱情分享騎車紀錄，陳亦珍在雜誌業征戰多年，從小不愛運動，還因為扁平足，無法走太多路，40歲時因病開過刀，從沒想過會在年過半百之際，愛上運動。

[[壯世代運動大使陳亦珍]]
"(當時)我的體力變得很差，走幾步路，我就覺得好累喔，然後又睡不好，那醫生就說，那就去運動，我就自己想說有沒有一個喜歡，就是你自己熱愛的運動，選到了腳踏車的時候，我就覺得好開心喔，因為不需要把腳放在地上"

下午騎完單車，傍晚又來到健身房，陳亦珍一周七天運動不停歇，游泳、重訓、爬山、騎單車樣樣都來，為了宣傳中高齡運動的重要性，陳亦珍當起"狀世代運動大使"，號召大家一起運動，在臉書有5千多名社員。

[[壯世代運動大使陳亦珍]]
"要把大家推到外面去運動，其實這件事情不是那麼容易，他需要一直不斷有人去鼓勵他，給他一個目標吧"

對陳亦珍來說，運動設立目標很重要，她的挑戰精神，翻轉外界對中高齡運動的想像，接下來她還要學會騎馬。

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