The Making of a Female Bodybuilder | Between Us

Xuan is an INFBB Pro athlete, body builder, and personal trainer who finds freedom through fitness. As a child, she was dressed like a little princess by her uncle, but grew up navigating conflicting gender norms. Through adolescence, jokes about being a “tomboy” left her confused and quietly hurt, unsure how to describe herself. For a period, she tried identifying as “T,” acting as masculine as possible, before realizing that label only restricted parts of who she was. Her turning point came when cheerleading introduced her to the gym. Bodybuilding became her focus as she discovered joy, confidence, and a growing sense of self. Hours of training was rewarded with visible progress, even while competing meant facing subjective expectations, including wearing wigs onstage to appear more traditionally feminine. Refusing once caused her to lose; wearing the wig later helped her win, leaving her frustrated, yet determined to keep going. Online, Xuan speaks candidly about identity and refuses to be limited by labels, inspiring others to be more open about themselves. She describes herself as someone who burns intensely, drawing strength from anime heroes, pushing through challenges, and continuing forward with conviction. Her journey is not about fitting a category, but about living visibly, honestly, and on her own terms. “Between” Us follows twelve LGBTQ+ individuals living in Taiwan as they navigate love, family, self-understanding, and the quiet turns of everyday life. Rather than defining anyone by labels, the series focuses on the experiences that shape them—the moments of doubt, the slow work of healing, the courage to speak honestly, and the relationships that make openness possible. Through intimate conversations and ordinary details, Between Us reveals how LGBTQ+ lives are built not only through struggle, but through connection, clarity, and the small decisions that lead a person toward who they wish to become. It is a portrait of resilience grounded in the simplicity of being seen. Chapters: 00:00 Between Us 01:18 The Years of Silence 02:29 Penance in Flesh 05:42 The Awakening 08:05 The Role I Must Play 14:47 To the Child I Was 15:08 Credits #Humanstories #LGBTQ+ #Taiwan #TaiwanPlus ▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁ 🌏 TaiwanPlus | Taiwan to the World Breaking news and original programs. All things Taiwan at your fingertips. Visit our website » https://www.taiwanplus.com 📱 Connect with TaiwanPlus » Like us on Facebook: https://tw.plus/facebook » Tweet us on Twitter:   / taiwanplusshows   » Follow us on Instagram: https://tw.plus/instagram 🇹🇼 About TaiwanPlus TaiwanPlus is the premier international media platform providing English-language news and entertainment from Taiwan, at the heart of the most dynamic and fastest growing region on Earth.