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Cheryl Mainland 謝竹君

@cherylmainland

2099

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4318

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Igniting global fluency @dragonacademy_official 🐉❤️‍🔥
Mom to 👧🏻👧🏻👦
@harvard Alum 🎓
🌏citizen 🏄🏻‍♀️🌊 devoted

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a year ago

Chinese is my first language. My wish has always been for my kids to embrace their heritage too. For years, they resisted Mandarin. Not because they didn’t want to. Because no one had built the world that would make them want to.Then they downloaded Korean. Because they loved BLACKPINK. That was the day I understood what I had to build. And why I had to build it now.The hunger is here. Chinamaxxing is the proof. Gen Z is reaching for Chinese culture on their own. Without permission, without language, without a map.The feast hadn’t been built - so I built it.Introducing Dragon Academy.Nine Keepers are already in the story.Are you the 10th?Full essay on Substack. Waitlist on dragonacademy.com. Link in bio.#chinamaxxing #dragonacademy #chinesebaddie by @cherylmainland

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3 months ago

Comment “RADII” below to join our newsletter and never miss content like this again! What happens when an English-Chinese language institute/comic book publisher/creative agency/culture amplifier decide to design surfboards? You get Dragon Academy (@dragonacademy_official).Dragon Academy’s latest project brings heritage and storytelling onto surfboards that are more than just objects to ride. One design shows a jade dragon rising from a vase, surrounded by lotus, peony, protea, and daisy, with a dragonfly for luck. At the top, the seal script blessing 望子成龙, 龙行天下 (“May your children become dragons, may the dragon way rule the skies”) sets the tone: culture carried forward, one wave at a time.For Dragon Academy, it’s not just about language or design, but about bridging worlds. Tap the link in bio to dive deeper into their story.Photos: @pearlsproject.online; @chichimonsta; @lotta_and_the_waves; @hastosa_; Boards: @deusexmachina; @bangbangboogie; @suket_surfboards; @artoflisaking; @nino_chuIn frame: Jojo Bahari; @nino_chu; @cherylmainland; @maykealtenburg; @beckie.bb #radiimedia #radii #dragonacademy #surfboards #design #art #artist #heritage #storytelling #culture #bilingual #creativeculture #eastmeetswest #chineseart #contemporarydesign #surfart #newmediaart #diasporastories #bridgingworlds #nextgenart by @cherylmainland

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a year ago

I have stories for days. I could stand here until the next 11:11, the next 11:11, and many more after that, and still not reach the end of them. So let me try to synthesize -because if I distill everything Rory taught us in her eleven years, it comes to this:1. Orientation - always know where you are: in time, in space, in yourself.2. Music, math, language, and order - precision, and the permission to lose yourself in it.3. Honesty - say what you feel; never shrink to please.4. Empathy - feel what others feel, and move toward them.5. Joy - don’t just have it; make it, for everyone.6. Expression - blue hair, bedazzled, strong emotions, unmistakably yourself.7. Adventure - say yes; do all the things.8. Believe in yourself - set the goal, and see it through.9. Spirit over body. Let nothing dim your fire.10. Ferocious, loyal love - your people are everything; thank them.11. Community - turn your own fight into something for everyone.Next year, Rory would have turned twelve - her year in the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Goat. And in her generation’s language, GOAT means one thing: the Greatest Of All Time.That is her last lesson, our 12th, and the one I hold most: that one little girl CAN make a huge difference, and leave a deep and lasting mark on the world. So this is what she would want for each of us - take the trip, dye your hair blue, swim with the whale sharks, chase the dawn, give the speech, sing the song. Do ALL the things - with curiosity, courage, joy, resilience, and kindness.Rory was grateful for all of it, and so she lived with no regrets - not a wave uncaught, not a fear unfaced, not a person unloved. May we each live so fully that when we, too, get to pick our time, we will have lived as completely as she did.And she is not gone. She is in the butterflies and the rainbows, the prancing deer, the auroras that light the sky, the whistling wind. Friends all over the world have felt her - and I feel her, and I know it to be true.My beautiful Aurora. My Warrior Princess. My Sleeping Beauty. My mermaid. What an incredible honor it has been to be your Mom.I LOVE you so so much. And I’m so, so incredibly proud of you! by @cherylmainland

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a day ago

11:11 🤍Our Aurora - Rory - came into this world already knowing something about time that the rest of us spend our whole lives trying to understand.She loved numbers. Math, order, dates, patterns - she saw them everywhere, and she could hold the quantitative and the mystical in the very same breath. Before one math final, she wrote down exactly what she intended to score: 23 out of 25. Not more, not less. She studied, she manifested - and she came home with a 23, the highest grade in her class. That was Rory: precise to the number, and completely certain the universe would meet her there.She wished on 11:11 - her angel number, from forever. She followed the new moon and the full moon. She saw patterns in everything. She was never, ever late - always early, always knowing exactly where she was, in space and in time. Her sense of direction, intuitive. And look at the dates she chose. Because I believe she chose them.She was 11.She was born on April 10th - National Sibling Day - as if she’d planned her own arrival to be the greatest gift she could give Charlie. From that day on, the two of them were everything to each other.And she left us on the 4th of July - her very favorite day of the whole year (after her birthday).That same exactness lived in her hands when she drummed - every beat precise, intentional, placed. And yet the drum was also where she disappeared. Because the only time time ever stood still for Rory was when she played, when she danced, when she was out on a wave - that deep, almost trancelike focus, her whole self given over, fully and completely alive.We would be so honored to have you celebrate her life with us in Melbourne, Sat, July 25, at 11am, or virtually via our live stream (details in bio) at 6pm PST / 9pm EST on July 24 or 9am Bali/ Taipei/ Perth time on July 25th.And wherever you are in the world - the next time the clock reads 11:11, make a wish for Aurora. 🤍 by @cherylmainland

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4 days ago

Dear friends of @cherylmainland, a therapist once told me that anger requires a witness. Over the past few weeks, I have come to learn that Grief is the same. It requires a chorus of witnesses to hold space for a life well lived. And what a remarkable life we have to celebrate in Aurora Lily Hall! Rory was a force. A fierce Warrior Princess who battled and beat cancer and open heart surgery at the mere age of 5 in the height of Covid. As a preteen, Rory went on to host four annual “Go For Gold” runs to raise awareness for childhood cancer — raising $10k for children in Bali. Many of us followed Rory’s journey and have been rooting for her and marveling at her courage and strength ever since. So we joined Cheryl in shock when Rory was diagnosed with leukemia last month. And now, I humbly ask that you join her as she lays Rory to rest. Attached are the details for Rory’s memorial service which will be live streamed for those of us not in Melbourne. Updates and times will be provided on my GoFundMe page that supports Cheryl, Charlie, and Coby. Thank you to everyone who has given so generously! Additional funds will go towards a 5th annual “Go For Gold” run that Cheryl is planning in Rory’s honor (it’s going to be global!) More details to come. Rest is peace Aurora — we’ll see you in the sunrise. #LinkinBio by @cherylmainland

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5 days ago

Dear friends, I do not have the words to fully express the grief and gratitude that I feel right now. Thank you for your generosity, your kind words, videos, pictures, and memories of my sweet Aurora ... they mean more to me than you’ll ever know. It’s been almost a week since we lost our Warrior Princess, and I’m only beginning to process what this means for our family and all her friends. I know that our lives will never be the same, and yet, somehow, life must go on. 💔Thank you for posting and sharing your memories. When I see these images, and hear your stories, I can hear her wit, laughter, determination, intelligence, and above all, her abundant love radiating through. She is with us in the butterflies, rainbows, prancing deer, Aurora skylines, and whistling wind. Friends all over the world have felt her presence over this last week. I feel it and know it to be true. I’ve learned so much from Rory. Mainly, that one little girl, CAN make a huge difference and leave a deep and lasting impact on the world. She has shown us how to live life, how to enjoy, experience, and love - especially when faced with adversity. Take the trip, dye your hair blue, swim with the whale sharks, chase the dawn, take the wave, jump off the boat, give the speech, learn something new, immerse yourself in culture and language, sing the song, do ALL the things. And do it with curiousity, courage, joy, resilience and kindness.To my beautiful Aurora, my Sleeping Beauty, thank you. What an incredible honor to be your Mom. Rest in peace. Love, Cheryl by @cherylmainland

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15 days ago

I met @cherylmainland nearly 15 years ago on a group trip to Iceland with a mutual friend. We were the only married girls on the trip and couldn’t “hang”. We made it to midnight before going to bed well ahead of the rest of the gang. We went on to have kids around the same age and stayed in touch through the years. Rory was first diagnosed with cancer shortly after William had just stopped having seizures. I knew what it was like to sleep in the hospital, not knowing what would happen to your child that night or the next day. Rory, a true Warrior Princess, survived cancer and open heart surgery during the height of the COVID pandemic in Melbourne … but Cheryl’s marriage did not (the toll this takes on couples is hard to explain). So we became divorce sisters and have walked much of our divorce journeys together. But in May, Rory started to feel sick again. In June, she was diagnosed with leukemia. And after only one week of treatment, Rory passed and went to be with the angels. She was 11 years old. Cheryl is now faced with the impossible task of moving forward with Charlie and Coby, while carrying the unbearable grief of losing a child. My hope with this fundraiser is to support this family’s basic needs for the next year, giving Cheryl the breathing room to heal with her two children without having to worry about running her small business. If you feel compelled to donate even just a small amount to support this brave and mama, please go to the GoFundMe page to find out more: https://gofund.me/b386afa04#LinkInBio by @cherylmainland

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18 days ago

It is with unfathomable grief that I write this. My beautiful mermaid, Aurora, passed today, and now is an angel. Heaven just received the most fun loving, adrenaline seeking, big hearted 11yo. Rest in peace baby 🙏 by @cherylmainland

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21 days ago

Meet the problem child of Chinese mythology - Né Zhā.🔥 A legendary child deity known for defying authority, defeating demons, and protecting the innocent. 🤺In Dragon Academy, he’s the Protector of the Demon Realm - keeping the chaos in check. He expects players to ask questions, embrace failure, and outsmart their own thinking. Fú Xī hates his methods, but the results speak for themselves.P.S. If his name sounds familiar, it’s probably because a movie based on him - Ne Zha 2 became the highest-grossing animated film of ALL TIME in 2025. Safe to say… he’s kind of a big deal. 👀Original illustration 🖌️: @andrewtarcher Animation 🎬: @yogasahaputra #dragonacademy #realmprotector #nezha by @cherylmainland

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25 days ago

I have no words, but wanted to share that Rory girl has just been diagnosed with leukemia and has started treatment already. In a childhood cancer awareness speech a couple of years ago she said she was a “statistical anomaly” - having a congenital heart condition and Wilms cancer … and that was before… now she is fighting leukemia. What an amazing memoir she will write as a Grandmother one day. 🙏Rory is the strongest, most determined, big hearted person I know 💙 but we would welcome all your prayers, love, strength, and good vibes. Thank you!! 🙏❤️ by @cherylmainland

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a month ago

surfing - what a sport - you can spend years and still be mediocre… but the wait for just one great wave, makes it all worth it! 🏄🏻‍♀️🌊⚡️#internationalsurfingday by @cherylmainland

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a month ago