Meet YiYing, an ex-researcher who swapped the lab for the boxing ring to pursue her passion for fitness and empowerment. As a dedicated fitness trainer and owner of a few thriving gyms, she combines discipline and precision from her research background with the energy and intensity of the sport.
Her mission is to help individuals build strength, confidence, and resilience through fitness and sports. With a unique perspective and a commitment to transforming lives, YiYing has created a space where science meets sweat, and every punch is a step toward personal growth. Here is her story on how she made the transition.
What inspired your transition from being a research scientist to owning a boxing studio?
That’s not a direct transition, but it took a few steps. I was doing my research work while also training in martial arts. I became very passionate about martial arts training. After I came to Singapore, I got to know the Kapap Academy, which is a self-defense and martial art school. Since then, I never stopped training, moving from student to instructor.
Over time, I got exposed to different forms of martial arts like Muay Thai, boxing, and catch wrestling, which is similar to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I got frustrated that whenever I sparred with guys, it was very difficult for me to overpower them. So I started looking into strength and conditioning training. I decided to enroll in a trainer course myself to gain a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of fitness training. I became very convinced of the science of fitness and sports.
At this point, my company underwent restructuring, requiring me to take on a new area of research. That demanded significant time and focus. Meanwhile, I continued to deepen my studies in strength and conditioning and travelled to Thailand more frequently to advance my Muay Thai training. I realised I couldn’t give my 100% to both. My martial arts mentor, Master Teo, gave me invaluable advice: “If you want to succeed in anything, you can’t have one foot in and one foot out.” His encouragement made me quit my research job and eventually established my own fitness business.
How has your background in research influenced the way you approach fitness and sports?
My background in chemical science research has been quite helpful. When I went through the personal trainer course, I realised there’s quite a lot of science involved. Exercise physiology is simply the chemical reactions inside of human body. Different reactions are stimulated by different types of movements, which subsequently translate into powerful transformations of the body and mind. I became fascinated by it.
It wasn’t just my knowledge of chemical science but also a research-oriented mindset and scientific approach that guided me in my pursuit of exercise science. I delved deeper, asked questions, explored research articles, analysed data, and conducted experiments on my own. This foundation proved invaluable as I transitioned into the role of lecturer at the International Sports Academy.
What challenges did you face when shifting from a scientific career to one of entrepreneurship, and how did you overcome them?
Fear. At first, my idea was to be a part-time fitness trainer and martial arts coach, and that’s what I actually did. But to quit my corporate job and become a full-time coach, I was skeptical. I was about 37 years old, which is considered quite old for someone starting a fitness trainer or martial arts coaching career.
I don’t have fight experience. I had to train myself harder. I kept thinking, “Can I really do this?” I had a lot of self-doubt, but my mentor Master Teo encouraged me.
I drew inspiration from stories of people who became trainers at 60 or even 70 years old. Their journeys shaped my philosophy: you can start at any age and achieve success at any age. Don’t let age define your limits. That’s when I thought, “Why not? Let me give it a try. If it fails, so be it–but at least I tried.”
What sets your boxing studio apart from others in the industry?
At Spartans Boxing Club Balestier, we champion inclusivity with our philosophy of “Boxing for Everyone” – regardless of age, gender, or skill level. Martial art gyms can often feel intimidating, especially for beginners. We aim to change that. Our goal is to create a welcoming, safe space where everyone feels comfortable training. We foster a friendly atmosphere to bring our community together and ensure everyone feels they belong.
Our trainers are approachable. Despite their extensive experience in fighting, you won’t feel intimidated in their classes. For those who want to compete, we also provide opportunities. We have trained national boxers and support those aspiring to become fighters. Another thing that sets us apart is that, unlike many traditional martial arts gyms, we ensure our studio is clean and odour-free.
If you do what’s easier in the short term, your life will be harder; if you do what’s harder in the short term, your life will be easier.
What role do you think boxing plays in physical and mental health, and how do you emphasise this in your studio?
Martial arts, like other physical activities, enjoy the benefit of improving your strength, power, cardio fitness and health.
Martial arts training motivates you to improve. It drives you to become stronger, more powerful, and build better cardio to sustain the training. Physical exercise releases endorphins, which contribute to improved mood. Some of our boxing gym members have told us that they come here because they feel good. When people come to training while under stress, we remind them to just focus on their training for the next 45 minutes. The intense mental focus on the physical training serves as a form of meditation to help people de-stress.
We cultivate an inclusive environment for members to feel welcomed, non-judged, and supported. Having a healthy social environment is a major factor of mental health and we want to make sure members feel that in our classes.
How do you tailor your training programs to cater to individuals with different fitness levels as well as different fitness goals?
We offer a range of classes for people of different levels: Boxing Fundamentals class for beginners, where they learn the basics. Once they feel confident, they can join more advanced classes, like Intermediate and technique classes, where they work on more complex combinations and drills. Those who want to further their skill practice can join our sparring class.
Within each class, we make sure our coaches are giving individual attention to people of different skill levels so that everyone gets something out of the training. This is another aspect that sets us apart. At our gym, we foster a positive class atmosphere while providing personalised attention to help participants progress at their own pace.
Can you share one memorable story or transformation from one of your clients that highlights the impact of your studio?
There are many transformations but I would like to highlight one case study in particular. I have a client where her total cholesterol and LDL were getting close to borderline high as her bodyweight crept up. She came to me to start physical training. We studied her lifestyle and worked on her mindset.
We saw a healthy decline in her cholesterol levels after 2.5 months. What’s more important than the physique result is her mindset shift. She had previously been sedentary and refused to do cardio. Now she is an advocate for active lifestyle and self-train strength and cardio regularly.
What are your long-term goals for the studio, and do you have any plans to expand or innovate in the future?
My long-term goal is to set up a more expansive martial arts training center. I want to include martial arts coaching, functional training, as well as recovery.
My vision is to create a safe and comfortable space for people to bond through martial arts, express themselves through functional movements, and relax with evidence-based recovery techniques, promoting harmony between mind and body.
What advice would you give to someone looking to transition into a completely different career path?
When I tell people about my career change, they often say it’s a dramatic transition. But to me, it’s not because I had already paved the way for about 5-6 years. I eased myself into it. I would say: don’t think too much. Just start doing it. You don’t have to completely shut down your old career, just start the new one.
You need to experience it. No amount of thinking will help, so just do it. If you do what’s easier in the short term, your life will be harder; if you do what’s harder in the short term, your life will be easier.
Where do you see yourself and what is your vision for Singapore in the next five years?
In the next few years, I foresee myself focusing on developing this boxing gym to help more people in the community get involved in martial arts. I also hope to go back to school and pursue a degree or master’s in sports science or exercise physiology.
As for Singapore, I can see that the government has been increasing investment in sports and fitness. I foresee Singapore will become the regional leader in forging a healthier nation, with more people taking up exercise. I hope to contribute to this with my efforts, one person at a time. Lifestyle intervention is a powerful medicine to chronic diseases and injury prevention. Usually when people get hypertension or diabetes, doctors prescribe medicine. But many of these conditions are caused by poor lifestyles such as lack of movement, poor nutrition, smoking and alcohol.
Lifestyle intervention is able to address many of the root causes to these diseases. There is an initiative in Singapore called “Exercise is Medicine,” which connects doctors with fitness professionals to continue taking care of the discharged patient. Unfortunately, the initiative’s influence is still limited and I hope this can be improved with more coordinated efforts from various organisations.
Connect with YiYing: Spartans Boxing Club Balestier and Instagram.
Spartans Boxing Club Balestier
573 Balestier Rd, Singapore 329888
