Peking University, September 13, 2025: The Wu-si Sports Center was electrified on Friday evening as Peking University welcomed its first-year students with its annual "First Run" event. The tradition, which marks the beginning of the academic year, brought together new Chinese and international students, school leaders, and faculty members for an evening of exercise and community building. The headline speakers this year were three Olympic gold medalists, who shared inspiring messages by drawing on their own journeys. 

Hui Ruoqi(Rachel Hui), captain of the Chinese women’s volleyball team that won gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics, attached great value to the “First Run”. She credited running as not just a great way for releasing dopamine, but also a great lesson in the significance of perseverance. “By running over difficulties in our personal and professional lives, we become stronger and braver.”

Qu Chunyu first of all pointed out that the First Run was a great opportunity to foster camaraderie. She then stressed on the importance of hard work and never giving up, a tenacious spirit vividly embodied by her 20-year career in skating, culminating in a gold medal in short track speed skating at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. “Never giving up and always pushing myself through the pain was how I had become a champion. And I believe you can do it too.”

Last but not least, Sun Yujie anchored her speech on the value of overcoming failures. She made the case by drawing on her own experience of surmounting incalculable failures before reaching the highest podium—winning gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics in women’s team épée competition in fencing. She likened her persistence to the struggle to pass the Gaokao exam and get into PKU, an excruciating experience that could be attested to by every student in attendance. “As long as you can pass the Gaokao exam and get into PKU, there is nothing to be afraid of!” 

As the evening drew to a close, the atmosphere remained charged with vitality and optimism. The 2025 "First Run" not only celebrated the start of the new academic year but also reinforced the values of sportsmanship, inclusion, and youth ambition that lie at the heart of the PKU spirit.

Sun Yujie

Qu Chunyu

Hui Ruoqi

Written by: Jawad Shabbir, Chen Shizhuo
Edited by: Zhang Jiang
Photo by: Yan Linlin, Cao Mengyao, Chu Zhaohan, Xiang Tingyan