Growing up, Yu-Hsien Tseng (“Blue”) faced many challenges as a female athlete. Because of her muscular appearance and stature, she was often ridiculed by peers, teachers, fans, and reporters. For Blue, these derogatory comments were demoralizing. “Commentators would always judge me by my appearance,” she remembers. “They always put me down. This is very harmful to young female athletes. Girls deserve to be strong and confident in who they are.” 

Blue’s experiences led her to a master’s and Ph.D, studying gender stereotypes in sport. In 2016, she co-authored an article about the ways the female image is reproduced in Taiwanese sports, which appeared in the International Review for the Sociology of Sport Journal. The following year, Blue was featured in the book, “Inspirational Women in Asia: Making a Difference in Physical Education, Sport, and Dance.” In 2020, Blue and her colleague, Po Chun Liu founded the “Taiwan Women’s Sports Association” and the “Taiwan Sport Forward Association.” Their work supports and empowers disadvantaged youth and female athletes by enhancing their physical and mental health while providing financial support, and career and tutoring assistance. Because of their humanitarian efforts, Blue and Po Chun received Taiwan’s first-ever “Gender Equality in Sport Award” in 2020.