- Woman enters fun skiing contest, wears Sailor Moon anime outfit
- Has 180,000 social media followers, films nationwide adventures
A 52-year-old grandmother in China has attracted social media attention with her age-defying, fun-filled antics on the ski slopes, earning her the affectionate title "Northeast Eileen Gu" after the Olympic skiing champion.
The energetic woman recently captivated onlookers with her dynamic performance in a lighthearted contest at the Zhangjiakou ski resort in northern China, a venue for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
In fancy dress as Sailor Moon, the Japanese anime character, she wore a short skirt, sported blonde pigtails and brandished a sceptre, while navigating the icy slopes.
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Her vibrant presence and youthful energy evoked memories of the young skiing prodigy Eileen Gu, who won two gold medals and a silver at the same place during the Olympics, prompting the online community to dub her "Northeast Eileen Gu".
The woman began skiing nine years ago and now brings along her three-year-old grandson, whom she refers to as her "best skiing buddy".
Her Douyin account, "Captain Mengmeng", has 180,000 followers and is filled with videos of her skiing adventures across China, as well as touching moments of her enjoying the sport with her grandson.
In one delightful clip, the little boy can be seen clearly sharing his loving grandmother's passion, saying excitedly: "Skiing is so cool and fun, I'll definitely come back!"
Revealing her outlook on life, Captain Mengmeng said: "Some say I should be more reserved. But I think we're fortunate to experience this life, and since we cannot live forever, I'll cherish every day I can still jump around and be joyful.
"Age is merely a number. We should all live the way we want," she added.
The vivacious grandmother's philosophy has inspired many on mainland social media.
"She is too cool. You would never know she is a 52-year-old grandma. She must be the queen of grandmothers," said one person.
"At 52, this northeast grandma is as fit as a 25-year-old," another said.
"You've become a role model for women of all ages. Age is not a limit. Always live life radiantly and to the fullest,"added a third.
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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.
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