Vixen Racing Welcomes Olympic Champion Lily as Team Ambassador

I am thrilled to welcome Lijia Xu, known as Lily, to Vixen Racing as our Team Ambassador.

Lily is a three time Olympian and one of China’s most decorated sailors. She won Olympic bronze at Beijing 2008 and Olympic gold at London 2012 in Laser Radial, following a twenty year competitive career that included major titles across China, Asia and world championships. After retiring from Olympic campaigning, Lily transitioned into sports media to help grow sailing’s profile, especially across Asia. She works internationally as a presenter, reporter, interviewer and commentator, and hosts sailing podcasts in English and sports podcasts in Chinese. Lily is a member of the World Sailing Council and has held leadership roles across Athlete Commissions in World Sailing, the Asia Sailing Federation, and the Chinese Yachting Association. She is also the co author of Coach Yourself to Win and published the second edition of her English autobiography, Golden Lily.

For Vixen Racing, this is a genuinely exciting alignment. Lily brings elite race credentials, a deep understanding of what it takes to perform under pressure, and a rare ability to translate sailing into stories that inspire people to get involved. She has spent years helping sailing reach new audiences, and that matters to us, because our mission is not just to race hard, it is to grow capability, confidence, and ambition in offshore sailing.

What I love most is that Lily is also stepping into a new edge of the sport. She is joining us because the Vixen Academy suits her perfectly, she is still building her offshore and keelboat racing experience, and she wants real miles on a serious boat with a serious team.

And yes, she also loves the pink. I respect that. We take the sailing seriously, and we take ourselves lightly.

As Team Ambassador, Lily will be embedded with us to capture what the Vixen experience actually looks like. Not the glossy highlight reel, the real work.

You can expect content like this across the season:
• Behind the scenes from race weeks and offshore training
• Lily interviewing our crew, partners, and me, with the questions sailors actually ask
• Skills and lessons learned in real time, from deck, dock, and debrief
• A window into what it takes to step up from inshore racing to offshore passages

Here is what this partnership means to me:

“Lily brings an Olympic-level standard and a storyteller’s instinct, which is a powerful combination. Vixen Racing is about real offshore progression, earned through miles, routines, and good decision making. Having Lily onboard means we can open the doors wider, show the work, and invite more committed sailors into the kind of experiences that genuinely move you forward.”
Sharon Ferris Choat, Skipper, Vixen Racing

Welcome aboard, Lily. Let’s go sailing.

If you want to follow Lily’s journey with Vixen Racing, keep an eye on our social channels and our News page.