Many foreigners have been standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Chinese people to combat the novel coronavirus. One of them is Tony Nicholson, a prominent star fitness coach and actor in China. He has decided to stay because China has been his home for 15 years and he wanted to find a way to help those who're quarantined. He wants to do more to help others.
The Britain national is a popular fitness coach in China. His clients include celebrities and top business executives from China and across the world, such as SOHO Chairman Pan Shiyi, and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Tony Nicholson, a prominent star fitness coach and actor in China, helps people keep healthy to fight against the novel coronavirus. /CGTN
Tony said: "I have been here in China for 15 years, I came here for university, and I have my own health education company. When the epidemic started, many people left, and I decided to stay here with my mom, I want to find a way to help people through my method of health."
Tony is good at Ba Duan Jin, a traditional form of Chinese Qigong, or breathing exercises.
A video has gone viral on the internet, even doctors and patients in Wuhan have been practicing Ba Duan Jin.
Tony added that he saw people doing this in Wuhan after they recovered from the virus. "It makes me feel very strongly that being here in China is my life's work."
Annabel is one of Tony's top students. She is grateful to Tony for keeping her healthy not just physically but also mentally and psychologically. /CGTN
Tony created an app online, where people can follow fitness programs including Tony's 8 Minutes, Ba Duan Jin, and meditation. The programs and videos are available in both English and Chinese. It helps people exercise anywhere and anytime to keep healthy and stay strong.
"Tony is the best coach. He helps me stay energetic during the coronavirus situation. I started to practice on Tony's app every day," said Annabel, one of Tony's top students.
Tony (R) and her mother practice fitness programs online everyday. /CGTN
Tony's mother Beryl Nicholson is 60 years old and she is the Associate Principal of Primary of Keystone Academy, an international school in Beijing.
She has decided to remain in China with her son since the coronavirus outbreak, in order to help others maintain a balanced lifestyle.
Tony's mother Beryl Nicholson has decided to remain in China with her son since the coronavirus outbreak, in order to help others maintain a balanced lifestyle. /CGTN
Beryl said: "Each day I followed the exercises that Tony gives me to keep me healthy, because since the epidemic, Keystone Academy has been following an online program for all the children. And this is meant as a mind shift for parents, for staff and for the children of course. During that time, it's not just about the epidemics, it's also about your well-being, and keeping healthy during this difficult time."
Like others, Tony is devastated by how the coronavirus has affected and even turned the lives of people upside down. But he says he's truly inspired by how people in China have jointly and successfully worked together to tackle the epidemic.