Tianhui Liao, a senior majoring in Molecular Bioscience with a Track in Biophysics and the honored recipient of the 2023 Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, sports have played an integral role in her life since childhood. Currently, she is a member of the women’s volleyball varsity team, but she has a history of experimenting with different sports. From playing handball, track and field and volleyball in primary school, to now juggling judo, running, and football, alongside volleyball, at DKU, her athletic journey is a testament to her love for movement and physical exploration.
Tianhui Liao, Class of 2025
Q: When did you begin to get involved in so many sports?
Actually, I was introduced to sports at a young age by my father, who had been passionate about sports since his time in college. In primary school, I played handball and participated in track and field events. I joined my school’s volleyball team in sixth grade and continued playing throughout middle and high school. When I came to DKU, I wanted to take advantage of all the resources we had available and began exploring unfamiliar sports such as tennis, street dance, and frisbee.
Tianhui running in the DKU Park Run
Q: With so many sports in your life, how do you balance training with your studies?
Balancing sports and studies initially seemed daunting, until I learned to synchronize the two. Maomao, our fitness expert, taught me that our bodies are more resilient than we think. This helped me create a manageable routine, alternating between practice and study times.
I discovered that physical exercise could enhance my mental clarity, so I scheduled study sessions after training, when my focus peaked. The more I trained, the more I discovered that fatigue isn’t always a sign to stop, it’s often just part of the process. With proper time to recharge, I can balance sports and studies without burning out. Actually, sports are the thing that keep me grounded and motivated, both in my studies and in life.
Q: That’s interesting. Can you explain more on how sports play a key role in your motivation?
At DKU, being surrounded by an active sports community and friends who share my love for sports gives me that kind of external motivation every day. But I must admit, staying active isn’t always easy. When I’m back in my hometown, I don’t have the same push to actively seek out exercise. This Spring Festival break, I realized just how important sports are to me. The first two days at home without exercising, I was extremely unmotivated. But on the third day, while I was biking home from playing badminton with my high school friends, I felt a surge of energy and was excited to try new things again. I realized that doing sports must trigger some kind of chemical reaction in my brain, which helps keep my mind clear and focused.
Tianhui playing the volleyball game at DKU Invitational
Q: What inspired you to pursue multiple sports instead of focusing on just one?
I’ve always loved movement and exploring what the human body can do. I strongly believe that people should learn to work in harmony with their bodies, understanding how it moves, how it reacts, and how to take care of it. All the different sports I’ve tried have taught me something unique. For example, Judo lets me experience unusual ranges of motion like rolling, crawling, and falling. It requires me to feel the center of gravity in both me and my opponent and maximize the impact of force. In the Running Club, Coach Kennedy taught me how to find the perfect running form to prevent wasting energy and how to adjust my posture to relieve muscle fatigue without stopping. Playing sports is like learning physics in action; you don’t always calculate force, but you learn how to use it through experience.
Tianhui and her classmates play table tennis
Q: How do you approach competition? Are you a competitive athlete?
Not really. I play sports to appreciate the movements and claim ownership of my body. I don’t have a strong will to win against others, but I do enjoy my athletic accomplishments. Last semester, I completed a 30km cross-country for the first time and it was one of my proudest achievements.
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