Four-time Olympian Lily Zhang found love and joy after coming out. Now she’s inspiring queer athletes.

Lily Zhang has been on the go all summer long.

Following World Table Tennis’ U.S. Smash earlier this month — during which, Zhang had a strong opening in the women’s doubles, winning at 11-7 in her round of 64, then taking the final game 11-9 for the 3-1 win — she is currently at her home base in Palo Alto, Calif. Though Zhang was eliminated by Germany’s Ying Han early on, her appearance at the second World Table Tennis’ U.S. Smash makes her a pioneer in her craft.

But when she’s not busy making history, the four-time U.S. Olympian is constantly leveling up. 

“I’m still traveling eight to nine months out of the year,” Zhang tells Outsports. “But if I am here, I train at my club, which is in Fremont. It’s called Table Tennis America. I usually try and train at least once a day on the table, and then, if I can, in the afternoon as well. But because we’re traveling all the time, the schedules get really messed up, and it’s hard to keep like a consistent regimen. But we try to do as much as we can on the road.”

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Zhang was first introduced to table tennis as a child. Her Chinese immigrant parents played for fun as students at Stanford University. Years later, when her father worked at the university as a tenured professor, Zhang and her parents would often play table tennis in on-campus laundry rooms to pass time.

At 30 years old, Zhang has garnered a large following of fans online, her passion for the game resonating with young, queer fans. Her TikTok and YouTube pages consist of a good mix of sports highlights, as well as cute relationship stories featuring her girlfriend, Jessie Xiao.

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“The support has been amazing,” says Zhang. “Part of the reason why I didn’t come out until later in life is that I didn’t see someone like myself represented in sports and media. I think that part was really scary to me because I didn’t know what the reception would be, especially in table tennis. It’s a historically Asian-dominated sport, so I feel like it’s leaned towards more conservative values. But after coming out, all we’ve had is positive support. I feel so much happier and fulfilled.”

Though coming out proved rough with Zhang’s parents at first, she shares that time has bonded them all closer together.

“It’s gotten significantly better,” says Zhang. “I feel like I can share parts of my life that I haven’t been able to before, and they’ve met Jessie and they love her, and so it went from a really tumultuous time to feeling so normal now, and that’s what all really want.

“To feel that sense of normalcy of being able to share your life, and your partner, and your relationship with your family. We have dinner with them all the time, we play doubles and table tennis with them, and it’s just yeah amazing now.”

It helps that a lot more queer and Asian media exists now than did before she came out. This past summer, Zhang and Xiao enjoyed watching “Girls Like Girls,” a sapphic, Asian-led rom-com based on a story by Hayley Kiyoko. Earlier this summer, the couple watched “Saving Face,” a 2004 rom-com that tells the story of Wilhelmina (Michelle Krusiec) and Vivian (Lynn Chen) falling in love.

Equally as diverse is Zhang’s practice playlist, which comprises of artists like Doechii and Doja Cat to boost her energy, as well as Ethel Cain, when she wants to decompress.

With music taste, her film queues and her practicing schedule, Zhang is nothing if not intentional. And she is just as intentional with her personal time. While traveling, Zhang will often detail the struggles of being in a long-distance relationship. But she offers advice on combating the distance.

“Every relationship is different, says Zhang, “but I think something that worked for me and Jessie is to try and make sure we have time enough time for a small date night or play a game — we’ve been obsessed with Waveling — but just something small to incorporate and to feel like a sense of routine and normalcy.”

Zhang has built a remarkable career, and her recent victories are only the beginning of a promising legacy. But she hopes that through her wins, and her stories — both on and off the court — that she’ll open the doors for other queer athletes of color.

“We have come such a long way,” says Zhang, “especially growing up, not being able to see so much representation, and then to now when there are so many out and proud athletes. It’s really inspiring to see. But we’ve still got a long way to go.

“I can speak from my experience in table tennis. I don’t really see any out athletes like, especially from Asian countries, and it would be amazing to be able to see more of that. Representation is so important for young athletes out there. I’ll keep living my life freely and openly, and if that inspires anyone else, I hope everyone can feel free to live their own lives.”

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