Life is more than the scale, and your body is capable of so much more. Yahoo's #Fitspo of the Week series is dedicated to inspiring men and women in Singapore who live healthy and active lifestyles. Is there anyone you can recommend?strike Cheryl On top of that Instagram or Facebook!
name: Shantae Zhou (@shantayzapada)
height: 1.62m
weight: 55kg
Profession: content creator
situation: attached
food: I'm a vegetarian and have been eating a plant-based diet for the past four years. Tofu may be my favorite food right now.
exercise: I exercise at least four times a week. I mainly do calisthenics and pole dancing. I focus on strength and primarily target my upper body with pulling and pushing exercises. I also love going for a run on Sundays.
Q: Were you active in sports when you were younger?
A: I was eating very actively (lol)! No, the truth is, I wasn't involved in anything remotely active, and in my younger days I was a completely different version of the Shantae you see now, with a few extra rolls around my waist. .
You're doing a lot of pole dancing now.
Yes, fitness definitely became my focus as I got older. The first fitness activity that sparked my enthusiasm was actually pole dancing. It's funny, I started pole because I thought it was going to be sexy dancing or club dancing. (Girls here want to learn how to look sexy.)
But the first class was a shock for me. Because the amount of force required to perform the movement was far beyond my ability. But I like a challenge, so I focused on getting stronger to stay on the pole longer. I was hooked not by the sexy dance, but by the powerful element of the pole.
As I progressed, I discovered the beauty of strength, and as I practiced pole tricks, I became stronger. I wasn't interested in sexy dancing anymore. Instead, I gained strength and muscle and discovered a whole new world in doing difficult movements. This pushes me to a whole new level.
What made you start gymnastics?
I started because I needed more strength to pull myself up the pole. To do that, I needed to train more and control my weight better.
My first goal was to do pull-ups. Not long after that, I met some gymnastics friends and a coach who showed me how to improve my strength.
With a better training plan in place, I embarked on a calisthenics journey to gain better control over my strength and body while improving my overall fitness level.
What are your current fitness goals?
Aim for muscle up! And a 20 second handstand hold. Wait, one more thing…the human flag! (Don't worry, I'm the green flag.)
How did your journey as a content creator begin?
I started creating content when I was in middle school. I am definitely passionate about media and knew right away that I wanted to pursue this path. At first I was afraid of being in the spotlight and was content to stay behind the scenes.
I studied media for years and then worked as a video producer and director, creating video ads for corporate brands and businesses. Things were manageable until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but my dreams were buried.
I finally had time to sit and think. I thought, “Why not try creating my own content again and just do what I love?” Since posting my first video on TikTok, my life has completely changed.
Sometimes we need to take a leap of faith. I don't want to be 80 years old, lying in bed, looking back on my life and thinking about all these “what ifs.”
I believe we all have a lot of untapped potential. And sometimes we have to dig deep and face discomfort to uncover the hidden gems within us. It's a constant battle to improve the content and I love what I do.
Do you have any challenges as a content creator?
As with any career, there are always challenges. For creators, digital media is a very new industry and there are a lot of exciting opportunities. However, it also involves uncharted territory and difficult challenges. Being alone at work was new to me. I was used to going to work surrounded by colleagues and having a set schedule and tasks.
But content creators have freedom. To stay on track, you need to be careful with how you use your time, including instilling discipline and daily tasks. Otherwise, you could end up down a dark path of wasting your time and losing motivation when your performance declines.
You're known for your humor and funny skits, do you feel any pressure to keep putting out content?
The other challenge, of course, is staying consistent and making sure the views and reach are appropriate. As a creator, I understand that there are always ups and downs. The important thing is to always evolve with the times. Update, refresh and keep learning. Study media trends to stay ahead of the curve and you'll eventually “rise” again.
Another breakthrough is just around the corner, “keep going” is what I always tell myself. I believe there is an audience that is right for you and unique to you. As I evolve as a person, I'm sure my content will change as well.
At that time, there is energy, and we will put out content that will attract that demographic. I'm not going to box myself within the constraints of being a comedy creator because life is full of expansion and opportunity.
No, I'm not worried. I'm excited about who I'm becoming and what the future holds. I'm so grateful for our current viewer base and looking forward to meeting new viewers and audiences.
Did you experience anything that made you feel insecure about yourself when you were younger?
Something happened that changed my life. I was overweight as a teenager, which led to severe bullying. Sometimes people hated me just because of my appearance or rumors. (Adolescents were really mean.) It was a difficult time in my life to feel left out and unwanted.
If there was a popularity ranking, I'd probably be at the bottom. Ironically, I wouldn't have any followers. Life has a funny way of looking at both the good and the bad. Being at the bottom has shaped my worldview for the better. I started seeing through a different lens and it made me so much stronger.
When I finally took charge of my life, deep down I knew I could change. I have no obligation to become who I once was. Life has become so much more beautiful and meaningful since I understood that happiness comes from progress. Whether it's in my fitness or my career, I want to get one percent better every day with every step forward. It makes me smile every day, and every night before I go to bed, I look forward to another day of fun.
When was the last time you felt least confident?
I think it was when I was about 15 years old. At the time, I was at my heaviest at 75kg and had little motivation in life. It seemed like everything I did ended in failure. Back then, when I stared in the mirror, I couldn't stand the way I looked. As a teenager, I was in great pain for years, burying my sadness and suffering with food and comfort, continuing down a destructive path. It was a downward spiral. Teens are especially sensitive to criticism and criticism.
I have more curves and when I was 15 I hated my curves because I was different from everyone else. All I wanted back then was to be liked. In fact, for a long time, I preferred to be petite and thin because I wanted to be liked by others.
At that point, everything I had tried in my life had failed. The final straw came when even my closest friends started to distance themselves from me. As the bullying intensified and failure loomed large, I couldn't take it anymore. At the end of third year of junior high school, I decided that I had to take control of my life or I would be of no use in life. As I grew older, I also realized how harmful my mindset of wanting to be thin was.
From that day on, I changed my diet and it became a daily routine. I stopped trying to make things work with people and went into monk mode for the first time in my life. I dedicated all my time and energy to exercising, eating healthy, and studying.
I took full advantage of the two-month semester break to completely refresh myself. And the next semester, I showed up at school as a whole new person. If you see a character in a movie transform from nerd to glamorous, it's me (lol). Everyone was surprised because I lost 15 kg.
Long story short, people were very kind to me after that. With my newfound confidence, I knew I had the discipline and strength to face any challenge and that I was in control of my future. The human mind is powerful.
Are you satisfied with your body now?
Yes, I am happy with my body now. I've worked hard to get healthy and I'm so proud of myself for being able to stay healthy, literally through thick and thin. This body worked hard to support my dreams. I've learned to love my body despite its fluctuations in shape and size.
Loving myself comes from a deeper place and I now respect myself and my body. So, along with deep love comes gratitude, appreciation, and effort to train and shape one's body. Being healthy, strong and glowing is what matters.
Do you have any comments about your body?
I get a lot of different comments about my body, probably because I'm used to it looking curvy. You don't have to address comments. I'm open to comments now, hahaha.
If you could change anything about yourself, would you?
No, but I am changing and improving every day, striving to be a better version of myself.
