Yu Jing, a young Beijing woman, juggles professional ambition, family life and uncommon athletic ability, Xing Wen reports.

Early in 2015, Beijing native Yu Jing, then a 29-year-old running beginner, registered for the TCS New York City Marathon, just for fun.

Yu knew well that one only has a very slim chance of being selected in the draw for such an internationally popular marathon, so she neither made a genuine attempt to secure entry nor cared much about the result.

But by a stroke of fortune, she was selected, catapulting her on a life-changing journey.

Yu's unexpected luck became an entryway for her to tap her athletic potential and open up new vistas of life.

The young woman, who used to live the busy yet sedentary lifestyle of an architectural designer, later managed to conquer a full marathon within three hours and 40 minutes and climb onto a triathlon winner's rostrum.

"In retrospect, I find that many of the positive changes in my life were brought on by my involvement in different forms of athletics," says Yu.

She recalls that at a very young age she was a plain student in class.