Viktor Axelsen, the world’s No. 1 badminton player and recent Olympic gold medalist, has picked up an interesting new hobby to deal with stress – writing Chinese characters. And no, this isn’t a joke.
Axelsen, who fans already know can speak Mandarin, recently dropped a video on social media, showing off how he chills out by practicing his Chinese writing skills.
And he’s pretty serious about it, too.
He admitted, “I know everyone thinks I can speak Chinese, but honestly, my Chinese is kind of shaky, and writing it? Forget about it.”
So, what’s his secret method? “I use my computer and phone to type, and then I pick the characters using pinyin,” he revealed.
Apparently, he found this book at the airport that’s all about learning to write Chinese.
So now, he’s all in. “For me, writing is a great way to relax,” he said.
He knows it’s not going to be easy. “Learning to write Chinese is definitely going to be tough and slow because I don’t have a lot of time to practice,” he said.
But he’s hoping for some good vibes from his fans, “Wish me luck, cheer for me, and support me! Learning to write Chinese is really hard.”
In the video, his daughter, also makes an appearance. She’s trying to learn Chinese too and even gave her dad a thumbs up while he was peeling eggs.
Netizens loved it, with many saying their Chinese isn’t even as good as his, and cheering him on with comments like, “You can do it, you’re awesome,” and “Writing must be easier than badminton.”
Some even offered to trade skills: “You teach us badminton, we teach you Chinese.”
