A family of affluence is synonymous with fame and fortune. Many people wish to acquire this lifestyle, and some individuals try to get into a wealthy family, such as celebrities with big goals. However, to no avail. If you manage to marry into a rich family, life is not easy. A family of affluence is known to have rules and set several goals that most people who become a part of them are heard to have struggled to adjust to their lifestyle.
Diving queen Guo Jingjing is known to be an exception. Although she was born into an ordinary family, Jingjing is the type of person who can adjust when she is amongst people from all walks of life.
Guo Jingjing was born into an ordinary family from Baoding, Hebei, China, on October 15, 1981. Both her parents are workers. It stands to reason that ordinary families such as Jingjing’s rarely mingle with rich and famous people. However, never has she imagined that someday she would be married to a wealthy man.
There is a famous quote from Helen Keller that says, “A person’s character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” Jingjing’s family lifestyle influenced her life’s direction: learning to dive.
Diving is a difficult sport. However, it may also be a great way to travel the world with your own efforts when you begin to compete. Unfortunately, Guo Jingjing was not in good health when she was still a child and diving is a strenuous sport. She began to learn the basics of the sport when she entered the Baoding Training Base at 6 years of age.
Fortunately, Guo Jingjing is very competitive. She never gave up no matter how rigid the training sessions were. Jingjing practiced for hours every day, which lasted for 4 years. At age 11, she joined the national team.
“Guo Jingjing is the most hardworking of all the team members,” Coach Zhong Shaozhen said. “She has been rated as the best training model in the team many times.” Jingjing first competed in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. She would have won the gold ahead of fellow competitor Fu Mingxia, but had a disastrous final and missed all 5 dives, landing her in 5th place.
Guo Jingjing devoted herself to the sport and trained harder for the upcoming competitions. It was during her training sessions in 2004 that she met Kenneth Fok, the heir of the Fok Ying Tung Group. He was on a business trip in Hong Kong.
In 2001, it was known that Kenneth Fok was very popular at the time and was named one of the “Most Eligible Bachelors” of the year, landing him in the top 5.
Being pursued by a handsome and wealthy young man did not affect Jingjing much, unlike other young women who swoon with excitement. She was very calm and focused on her own hard work and achievements.
In the 2008 Olympic Games 1st Women’s 3-meter Springboard, and Women’s 3-meter Synchronised Springboard categories, Guo Jingjing attended the most glorious events in her diving career. She won both events with diving partner Wu Mingxia. Her then-boyfriend Kenneth was her biggest fan during the competitions and was cheering for the love of his life.
Kenneth Fok was very impressed by Jingjing’s achievements, who was not yearning for the title of a champion but for the limitations of the sport’s challenges. 4 years after the Athens Olympics in 2008, she has won more than 30 gold medals and stood on the podium 4 times for the world champions.
Guo Jingjing’s life has gone from ordinary to famous, her name becoming synonymous with ‘high achiever.’ Some people compared her name to flowers, applause, and honor. At the peak of her career, Guo Jingjing retired. She has mentioned that she will not compete in the 2012 Olympics. She quoted, “I think I have fulfilled my task, so the London Games is not what I have in mind now. The chances should be left to other talents in the team.”
On November 8, 2012, many big names in business and sports were invited to the most important day in the couple’s lives. “We held hands, from Athens to Beijing, and then to London, and went through the real Olympic journey.” Guo Jingjing and Kenneth Fok married in Hong Kong! They have entered into a new adventure and are ready to face new challenges.
Guo Jingjing was not spared by the relentless questions of the offensive media. They claimed that she turned from a sparrow to a phoenix. They repeatedly asked her about her feelings about being married into a wealthy family and also questioned her true purpose of joining the sport to win the championship.
In her defense, Kenneth told the press, “It is true that I pursued her, and I am very honored that she chose to marry me.” The words spoken are not only proof of true love but also speak of Jingjing’s place in Kenneth’s heart.
Guo Jingjing has always been very spontaneous with her humble response to the media: “I am not high-ranking. There are many wealthy families in the world, but there are not many champions.” For more than 10 years, the life Guo Jingjing has built for herself can surpass the title of “Champion”. She can be called a “Legend”.
Guo Jingjing is a 25-time world champion. She is a winner of 4 gold medals and 2 silver medals. She is also a chairman for Nansha, a member of the World Charity Foundation, an image ambassador of China, and a global hospitality consultant.
Guo Jingjing and Kenneth Fok’s wedding event was filled with guests from the rich and famous. The event was published in every newspaper and was claimed to have about 1,000 guests who attended, including Li Ka-Shing, Fu Mingxia, Jackie Chan, and Andy Lau.
Timothy Fok, Kenneth’s father, proudly said of Guo Jingjing, “It is a blessing for our family to welcome a daughter-in-law like Jingjing.” Not only were these words coming from a proud father-in-law, but they came from the heart. However, being married into the rich and famous lifestyle is not easy. Jingjing strengthened her self-cultivation: went to England to learn languages, specialized in etiquette learning, and a series of self-improvement.
“She is not the image of a young lady projected by society, she is definitely not, and she is not willing to do so.” Kenneth Fok proudly said of his wife, Jingjing. From the beginning, her image made it clear to the Fok family: She will only rely on her own efforts to achieve the life she deserves.
Additionally, Guo Jingjing contributed a great future to the Fok family. It is said that when her father-in-law came for a visit to the couple’s home, he still had to obtain the consent of Jingjing. Such as when the children were studying, no matter how busy Timothy Fok was, he had to wait for the children to finish studying before meeting them.
Guo Jingjing believes that this is to teach children the correct concept of time, and no one can interfere with it. Everyone in the family is treated equally, with no superiority over each other. She trains her children, along with her parents, to go to the fields and learn how to plant rice seedlings, do volunteer work for a charity in the community, and interact politely and humbly with other people. Guo Jingjing wanted to teach her children the principles of life: be thrifty, have integrity, and always move upward.
Guo Jingjing has built a strong foundation for the development of her family. There is a saying that goes, “Wealth only lasts 3 generations” and is actually the destiny of every wealthy family. However, with Guo Jingjing’s solid family cornerstone, the Foks’ lifestyle is flourishing each passing day, leaving most of the wealthy families in Hong Kong behind.
Today, Guo Jingjing has been married to Kenneth Fok for 10 years. The foundation she has built around her family added a high level of spiritual improvement and a great image for the Fok family. Her charitable behavior built a better reputation for her popular and wealthy family and won the hearts of the public.
The woman that the media knows as the “person who squeezed herself into” a wealthy family and “climbed the ladder of the wealthy” had a completely different ending. Jingjing’s happy ending became obvious to everyone, but it definitely did not come from her being a diving champion. Guo Jingjing has strong inner endurance and holds on to her 3 life principles.
“We can’t change our origin,” Guo Jingjing said. “Only through continuous efforts, as long as you have confidence and capital, then you will have the whole world.”
Guo Jingjing has everything she needed in life. She has the “Champion” title, has won multiple medals from her chosen sport, has a great family, and with strong principles. She is a woman with such a good heart and generosity. With achievements such as these, what more can one ask for!
Images credits: 17 Go Forward
