The Chinese mother of one who rarely wears makeup is nearly 50 years old yet looks so young people think her 22-year-old son is her boyfriend. Without a wrinkle in sight and a super-toned body, Liu is constantly stunning people with her looks. “People are often shocked to find out I’m almost 50,” Liu Yelin (49) told Mail Online. “Whenever I went shopping and told people my real age, I often got mobbed by strangers who wanted to find out my secrets.”
Liu, from Xinyang city in central China’s Henan Province, also boasts faultless skin and sculpted cheekbones that anyone half her age would be proud of.
The fit mum looks so young that people often mistake her 22-year-old son for her boyfriend.
Liu Yelin got her first job in 1985, aged 17.
More than three decades later, the ex-librarian, who has already retired, doesn't look much older.
Ms. Liu then shared with us her motto: 'If you think you look rough, that's because you haven't sweated enough.'
She added: 'I feel like I'm still 15.'
Liu Yelin, who is also known by her screen name Ye Wen, was born in 1968 in Xinyang, central China's Henan Province.
The confident and energetic retiree said her age-defying appearance has caused her headache. People who don't know her often mistake her son, 22, for her boyfriend.
Ms. Liu said once she went to attend a friend's wedding with her son, who works as an assistant at a film production company. She was pestered by many guests who wanted to find out if the 22-year-old was her new partner.
Although the active mother has enviable olive skin and flawless complexion, she claimed that she rarely uses cosmetics.
So, what is that secret of hers? Regular exercise for three decades. “I swim in the lake and do weight training every day,” she said. “My favorite thing is swimming outdoors in winter.”
In fact, Liu has swum across the Yangtse River in China and the Han River in South Korea. And last year, she swam from the shores of Penang, Malaysia to the Strait of Malacca – that’s a whopping 7.45 miles in just 4 hours! Pretty impressive, huh?
The super-fit mom now has over 75k followers on a Chinese social media site called Weibo and lives by the motto: “If you think you look rough, that’s because you haven’t sweated enough.”
Ms. Liu said her tough workout regime has sharpened her character and made her the strong, straightforward person she is today.
The mother has swum across the Yangtse River in China and the Han River in South Korea.
In March 2016, she set a challenge for herself: to swim across the sea for the first time. She successfully crossed the Strait of Malacca after setting out from the shores of Penang, Malaysia.
She was still excited when she described the life-changing experience: 'For me as an ordinary person, it was a big challenge and a great success.'
After conquering the hearts of the Chinese public, Ms. Liu said her next goal is to travel around the world.
'I'm a spontaneous person, so I might pack up my bag and travel to Europe on a whim.'
She also said: 'I want to stay this beautiful when I'm 80 years old.'
The woman then concluded: 'I share my stories because I want to encourage more women to keep up exercising for a more beautiful and confident self.'
