"Internship Program for Athletes Entering Schools" Takes Center Stage: 91 Retired Elite Athletes Experience the Warmth of Shanghai

91 outstanding athletes have hung up their uniforms to step onto a new arena in life.

"Sports gave me a wound, yet taught me to reignite my fighting spirit; sports handed me a defeat, but only made me even more determined to stand strong against the odds. Some cheer loudly, while others shed tears—but with every ounce of perseverance, I’ll charge boldly onto the field! Give it your all, take that leap, and push forward! For the brave are always rewarded with a brighter future, as life itself unfolds on an entirely new playing field!"

As the three vividly themed stage performances seamlessly transitioned into the 2025 retirement anthem "What Sports Have Given Me," a poignant sense of farewell gradually enveloped the Shanghai Chongming Sports Training Base.

On June 10, Beijing time, the 2025 Shanghai Outstanding Athletes Retirement Ceremony was held at the Chongming Sports Training Base. Ninety-one elite athletes hung up their uniforms to embark on new chapters in life. Since 2017, Shanghai has hosted the outstanding athletes' retirement ceremony for nine consecutive years, honoring and expressing gratitude to these retired athletes.

Xu Bin, Party Secretary and Director of the Municipal Sports Bureau, sent heartfelt wishes to the outstanding athletes who are about to retire: "I hope you’ll always cherish your deep sense of patriotism, uphold the spirit of sports, and remain grounded in your pursuits—so you can forge a brilliant future on life’s next great stage."

This session's representative of retired athletes and Gymnastics World Champion, Fan Yilin

What does sports give us? That's what they say.

What does sports really mean to an outstanding athlete? Every athlete will have their own answer.

At the 2025 Shanghai Outstanding Athletes Retirement Ceremony, this year’s retiring athlete representative and Gymnastics World Champion, Fan Yilin, shared her thoughts: "When I was just five years old, my hands couldn’t even reach the bars of the uneven bars—yet my eyes were already shining with determination. Over the past 19 years of my gymnastics career, I’ve used countless gold medals to embody resilience, and through countless falls, I’ve reaffirmed my unwavering commitment to never giving up."

"The discipline of waking up at 5 a.m. to train, the razor-sharp focus even in that fleeting 0.1-second moment of flight, and the grace to smile and applaud your opponent when you’re behind—these are the true, most precious gifts sports have to offer."

Retirement is a significant moment in the life of every outstanding athlete. Looking back on decades of athletic careers, each athlete preparing to step onto a new chapter in life inevitably feels a deep sense of reluctance.

At the retirement ceremony, a stage-based audiovisual performance brought to life the highs and lows—both the storms and the rainbow moments—that athletes experienced on their journey through competitive sports.

In fact, many athletes have experienced moments of uncertainty when facing challenges. Trampoline athlete Wu Zefeng was jokingly nicknamed the "Pit King" by his coach because his timid nature made him prefer training only in the foam pit. Shooting athlete Pan Zhengyi felt so nervous during her first competition that she shook uncontrollably—completely forgetting what she was supposed to do. And artistic swimmer Zhang Zixuan even admitted that she initially hated water altogether, "because I kept getting thrown into the pool over and over again."

But as their connection with sports grows deeper over time, athletes gradually begin to draw strength from it.

Artistic swimmer Zhang Haiya shared: "I used to be very shy, but after getting involved in sports, I gradually became more confident, daring, and determined—plus, I’ve also become much more outgoing." Track and field athlete Hu Tao said with a smile, "I absolutely hate this sport at times, yet I love it just as much. There were countless moments when I wanted to give up, but every time, I found the strength to get back on my feet again."

As the 2025 retirement anthem, "What Sports Have Given Me," began to play, Fan Yilin echoed the sentiments of countless athletes: "When it’s time to fight, I’ll never back down—this is my promise to myself, and also my message to everyone chasing their dreams."

Introducing "Athletes Training in Schools"—a gesture that truly reflects Shanghai's warmth.

In 2025, the Municipal Sports Bureau launched the "Athletes Enter Schools for Practical Training" program for the first time.

Once upon a time, the employment challenges faced by athletes after retirement were a topic of widespread public concern.

Many athletes choose to become coaches, staying connected to the sports world, but unfortunately, other career options outside of sports aren’t as promising. That’s why, years ago, the Shanghai Sports Bureau began thoroughly considering and researching career paths for these retired athletes—and has since developed a remarkably user-friendly management model tailored to their needs.

In recent years, the Shanghai Sports Bureau has actively implemented the national policies aimed at supporting athletes, annually conducting briefings on retirement and career transition programs for athletes in their professional transition period. The bureau also organizes comprehensive skill-enhancement training, vocational skills workshops, and hands-on job simulations to help athletes smoothly navigate the transition from "the sports arena" to "the workplace," empowering them to successfully reinvent their careers after retirement. Always keeping athletes' needs in mind and addressing their specific requirements, the bureau continues to refine its athlete support system, ensuring that elite athletes can focus fully on their future endeavors without worrying about post-retirement challenges.

Liu Zhiyuan, a first-level chief staff member from the Personnel Division (Foreign Affairs Division) of the Municipal Sports Bureau, explained that the newly implemented Shanghai Sports Development Regulations in 2024 clearly stipulate that the municipal sports authorities, along with the human resources and social security departments and civil service management agencies, are responsible for the placement of outstanding athletes in the city. Eligible retired athletes will receive resettlement support according to national and municipal guidelines. Additionally, the Municipal Sports Bureau has partnered with universities such as Fudan University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University to develop specialized training programs tailored to athletes' needs. These courses focus on areas where athletes often have strengths or gaps—such as official document writing, interpersonal skills, workplace competencies, insights into the current state of the sports industry, and an overview of employment trends—offering intensive training sessions led by professional instructors.

Currently, retired athletes in Shanghai are primarily placed through organizational arrangements, accounting for about 70% of the total, while 30% choose to pursue careers independently. In recent years, the number of retired athletes who have stayed on as coaches—either with elite sports teams or at municipal/district-level sports schools—has also been steadily increasing, thanks to Shanghai's newly introduced subsidy policy encouraging retired athletes to remain in coaching roles within these institutions.

According to reports, in 2025, the Municipal Sports Bureau, building on its existing training program for retired athletes, will launch "Athletes Entering Schools for Practical Training" for the first time. This initiative aims to help retired athletes gain valuable experience transitioning into school-based sports coaching roles. In collaboration with schools, sports academies, and other institutions, a wide range of practical training positions have been made available, ultimately enabling 38 athletes to begin their internships at these organizations. Following the launch of the program, a dynamic tracking and support mechanism has been established in tandem to ensure that the training efforts yield meaningful results.

Through training and hands-on practice, the Municipal Sports Bureau is actively guiding retired athletes to develop a positive career mindset, familiarize themselves with work processes and job-specific operational standards, and help them rapidly enhance their professional skills. This supports their smooth transition from "athletes" to "career professionals," enabling the seamless conversion of athletic abilities into valuable workplace competencies—and ultimately empowering retired athletes to forge a bright new chapter in their lives.

Source: The Paper