Expat in Guizhou: Never stop testing your limitations

Dorian Grenier trains an athlete to help her get the best physical condition at TopSupport, a sports training and rehabilitation center in Guiyang. [Photo/ddcpc.cn]

Since last May German fitness coach Dorian Grenier has been working at TopSupport -- a sports training and rehabilitation center in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province -- and he says he has experienced a very warm welcome from the locals, according to a report from local medial ddcpc.cn.

Half Canadian and half German, 31 year-old Grenier gained a degree in sports and sports science at the University of Stuttgart and worked in Canada, the United States and Germany, before coming to China.

At first, Grenier felt his job in Guiyang was more difficult than his previous work as his Chinese was not good enough, while there were not many English-speaking athletes. However, despite the language barrier, Grenier said that the locals had helped him a lot in both living and working.

Currently Grenier is training Guizhou's boxing, fencing, artistic gymnastics and wrestling teams to help them prepare for the qualifying rounds for the 14th National Games next year.

According to Grenier, Chinese athletes train more, but have a lower training intensity compared with athletes from other countries he has worked with. He has noticed that despite their tenacity, Chinese athletes still need to improve their willpower and self-motivation.

He believes that the best athletes should never stop trying to exceed their limitations and as a fitness coach, he can help Chinese athletes to cultivate this mentality.

During his staying in Guizhou, he has witnessed the progress of many athletes and he says he will keep trying his best to train the athletes.

Grenier believes that his working experience in Guizhou is a challenge in a good way, which can drive him to grow both as an individual and a professional.