In 1948, Dr. Paul's mother left him in the care of his grandmother in China. Ten months old at the time, Dr. Lam – whose given Chinese name is Bon Trong, meaning “born to be strong” – grew up under the cruel Communist regime of Mao Zedong and nearly perished during the Great Famine. After escaping from China, studying in Hong Kong, and finally settling in Australia, Dr. Lam won a scholarship to study medicine.

Malnutrition left Dr. Lam with severe osteoarthritis. He found that tai chi not only helped him manage the condition, the ancient practice improved every aspect of his life. Dr. Lam's burning passion to help others led him to create the Tai Chi for Health programs, where he combined his Western and Chinese medical knowledge with modern teaching methods. More than five million people worldwide practice his Tai Chi for Health programs.

Julie Davis-Bawden