[Trigger Warning: This interview contains mentions of eating disorders and engages in conversations about injuries and the psychological impacts they have on one's psyche.]
Ting has had an illustrious junior career, receiving the bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in 2019, and previously in 2018, won the bronze medal at nationals on the junior level after jumping from being 11th in the short program to getting second in the free skate.
Her career and story really resonated with me and Ceci.
Before this interview, I shared with Ting my own story with injuries, eating disorders, and the general impact sports and dance has had on me. When I was 15, I tore three ligaments in my right ankle. It’s impact was psychologically harrowing, rendering me bed-ridden and incapable of doing any form of physical activity. At age 16, I developed chronic back issues as a result of my attempt at overcoming the ankle injuries by overtraining. That coupled with peripheral neuropathy that ran down my arms, put me in a deep depressive spiral. My eating disorder (a combination of anorexia, orthorexia, and bulimia) that had started at the age of 13 evolved from a nagging devil on my right shoulder to a full-fledged demon that controlled every part of me.
And 7 months ago when I re-tore the ligaments in that same ankle, it was a miserable experience in a very different way from when I was 15 because I was spiraling in this cycle of questioning why my body was so weak and why I was being punished on multiple occasions in the form of injuries.
Later in this interview we have a conversation about the psychological impact of injury and how Ting’s relationship with skating has grown this past year. Ceci is also an actively competing athlete and the three of us had a productive and meaningful conversation about this topic.
So Ting, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today, how has your week been?
Ting: Thank you so much for having me on, I’m excited to have a great conversation with you guys. My week has been okay. Just starting off with some of the injury stuff you mentioned, my ankle injury has been much better which has been really exciting. But one thing causes another thing to be a little bit bothered with the injury so it changes up every week. This week it’s been good, a flare up has been bugging me which has been annoying. I’m still trying to learn and figure out how to balance how I want to train with what my body needs, which has been kind of frustrating because I want to train a certain way to feel good and ready for competitions but my body is only letting me train certain amounts.
Nila: Also congratulations on getting into Middlebury College! It’s such a good school, what are you planning on majoring in?
Ting: Thank you! International and global studies.
Ceci: I’m a global studies major in college! Are you planning on studying languages at Middlebury? I know they have really intensive language programs.
Ting: Yeah, Middlebury has a really great language program, within my major I’m planning on focusing on the East Asian track. I’m going to be studying both Japanese and Chinese.
Ceci: At the end of the 2017-2018 season, you moved from Vincent Restencourt to Tom Zakrajsek. You were the first american lady to medal at junior worlds since 2012. You were third behind Alexandra Trusova and Anna Scherbakova, and you were just a delight to watch. Talk us through your second junior worlds experience.
Ting: Yeah! My first junior worlds experience was in 2018. That was just a super exciting time. I had never been at such a big competition before so showing up to a championship event was really an immersive experience with all these different skaters who I had never competed against before and the big venue. You could feel the energy there and that was just really cool, and good for me to get used to the experience. For the first time at junior worlds, I had no expectations of myself for placements, I just went out there and did my best. It went well. Actually I did a clean short and in the long program I think the only mistake I made is I fell on a half loop which was stupid. I was kind of angry at myself at the time but my teammates were laughing and teasing me about it because it’s such a silly thing.
But then going into it the second time, I kind of knew what to expect. I had done two Junior Grand Prix events leading up to junior worlds and I didn’t do as well as I would have liked to at them but I generally knew where I stood amongst all the top junior ladies who I was competing against. So I went into it with a more competitive mindset, knowing it was possible for me to be on the podium this time so that’s what I was going to work for. I still didn’t quite believe it when I got there but after the short program because when I saw that I was third, it was kind of crazy to see my wildest goals from training that my coach at the time, Tom, was trying to drill into my head, start to come true. I was trying to just keep calm for the long program because prior to junior worlds I think that the whole season I had one good program and one bad program. So just keeping myself together and getting two solid programs was the goal and staying calm. Luckily I was able to do that and keep my placement and get the bronze medal.
Nila: You did so, so well, your reaction in the kiss and cry was really endearing. I hope you felt proud about that moment.
Ting: It was a little bit of a shock because I didn’t see the third russian girl (Kseniia Sinytsina) who skated before me so I was kind of nervous. I wasn’t sure how she did and I didn’t do a clean program, I fell on my last jump (triple flip) which is silly so I wasn’t sure if I had done enough nor had I seen if I had done enough.
Ceci: You injured your ankle the summer after junior worlds but recovered in time for US Classic where you did well, you were fourth, but unfortunately had to pull out of your grand prix assignments because of re-injury and it looks like throughout the season you sustained the ankle injury.
There’s a major psychological impact that comes with physical injuries, and I’d like to hear a bit about your experience that season, especially because you were at such a high at junior worlds.
Ting: That was so taxing mentally. The first time I have to say, it was alright. Because I was coming off this high from junior worlds, working on triple axels in the harness, so suddenly getting injured was a surreal experience. It almost didn’t feel real because it was my first injury. My mindset going into it was kind of like okay, we’ve never done this before, I have no idea what to expect, I’m just going to keep a positive mindset and I’ll be back on the ice in no time. You deal with it, you move on.
It was tough, but I got through it. It wasn’t absolutely terrible because in a few months I was able to get back on the ice and start jumping. My jumps came back fairly quickly which was also nice, so I was able to do the US International Classic to get my season going. I was super excited to compete in seniors. I had my first Champs Camp before that and I was so looking forward to my grand prix events. I had a competition in Finland and three days before I was supposed to leave, I got my second injury. This time it was due to rotational jumps off the ice and I landed on my foot really funny. Like Nila said, she tore all the ligaments on the outside of her ankle, like all three ligaments. I did that the first time, then re-tore it the second time along with the deltoid ligaments on the inside. I also had a bunch of tendon damage and bone bruising. It was worse than the first time, so the second injury is where it really got to me.
I had finally worked so hard for months to get back to competitive form and I just couldn't believe that I had to go through it all again. Like that is where I was at. I had to go through it all again and who knows if I would get myself re-injured again in the process. So mentally I was not in a good place after the second injury. I tried to stay positive for the first few months but I wasn’t making as much progress as I wanted. Just seeing the rest of the season go on and the world go on felt like I was standing still, not being able to do anything. It was really frustrating and I was still in recovery. COVID started to hit and that didn’t make things better. It was really isolating and just a bunch of mental issues that I didn't know I had started to creep up on me. I was depressed for a little bit, anxious, and then had some eating disorder stuff pop up. Not fun to have the combination of the three.
Ceci: An unfortunate trifecta but they usually come together in my experience.
From my experience, the pandemic was great for me because I wasn’t working my injuries as much. Do you feel going into the pandemic was worse for you because of the isolation, so the fact that your physical injuries were alleviated didn’t really matter much, or was it good for you in some aspects?
Ting: Going into the pandemic my initial mindset was like, okay this is great. I’m paused on my skating but now the whole world is paused too. So I can really take advantage of this opportunity and work on my rehab and recovery to get back on the ice. It just felt like the universe was with me and gave me this opportunity. So that’s where I was initially at. I had finally made it back onto the ice before COVID hit and was skating for a couple of weeks, maybe two weeks maximum before all the rinks closed down. That was really frustrating but still not terrible because I could use this time to work on off-ice training. When the rinks opened back up three months later, I was getting on the ice and I was starting to try to get back into it. I still wasn’t where I wanted to be, so that’s where it felt isolating. I was all alone and by myself. Like I felt there was no opportunity to connect with someone and talk about my issues in person. These things, to me, felt they needed to be talked about in person. Initiating a conversation over the phone or zoom didn’t feel sufficient, because up until that point I had never dealt with these issues. I had no idea how to talk about them at all. My parents were very supportive, but Asian culture, they’re not great with mental health related issues. So I would try to talk to them and they would help in the way that they thought they should but in China, these issues are not really a thing that’s talked about.
Nila: I relate on that front. With my Asian parents, I think there are well meaning conversations on both sides but the delivery is a little harsh and there's not much understanding of the trifecta of injury, mental health issues, and eating disorders. And in my experience it would always result in a disastrous type of advice and conversation.
So did you reach out to anyone else, like a therapist or did you talk to your coach about these issues?
Ting: For some more context, I was kind of coach-less at the time. I had moved away from Tom after getting injured the second time. I have to say, he was great, but I just didn’t feel the connection between us. I knew Colorado wasn’t the right environment for me. I had made it through two years there, and even that I feel like I barely made it through. The training environment was very competitive which I liked, but too crazy. Like there were so many kids on the ice, such long lines for music, sometimes you couldn't even get it played. I knew I wanted to figure out a different place to train. Especially as I was applying to colleges, that really played into everything. As I was injured, I couldn't skate and I didn't know if I wanted to continue skating while starting college. So it just felt like a one or another thing at that point in my life. I was coach-less and back home, training with my long time stroking coach Natalia Linichuk. Natalia is amazing. She’s an Olympic champion and she’s trained olympic champions so she has always been such an idol. It was just hard to think I could talk to her about it. She’s my head coach now along with Priscilla Hill and Roland Burghart. The three of them are forming a team. But now I do talk to her about stuff!
Nila: It’s awesome that you mention that because I had actually written in my notes that
In 2010, Tanith Belbin-White had attributed and thanked Natalia, her coach at the time, for helping Tanith with her issues with disordered eating and had offered her an ultimatum to put on weight. And Tanith had said she went from feeling really weak to being able to hold lift positions better and just generally felt so much stronger. That’s something I admire Natalya for, which I really do guess this should be the bare minimum with all coaches but unfortunately it’s just not and I really hope that working with her has been helping you. She’s had such a legendary career as an ice dance coach coaching Belbin and Agosto, Grishuk and Platov, Krylova, Averbukh, and so on. The list is just endless. How has this training environment been for you?
Ting: It’s been good! It’s been a little of an adjustment for me just because her background is in ice dance. It’s honestly been great, it feels like how I was training in Colorado just minus some of the craziness. Right now I'm training at Patriot Ice Center. it used to be just a really empty rink, like you would show up and no one would be there. You had private ice and whenever I just needed a day to skate by myself within a private space, I would just go there and have a moment, maybe cry a bit on ice, like it was all good. Now they’re starting to build it up and there are summer camps so some of the summer sessions are a little bit on the crazy end.
She has been putting her knowledge into jumping. A lot of what she focuses on is your body position where your weight should be, and edges. You have a really solid base to push out of as you’re going into these jumps. As I'm learning and as she’s correcting me, I'm kind of misaligned entering certain jumps which causes problems further down on the takeoff. It’s been cool seeing how she is viewing everything. There’s been unique corrections which have been super refreshing.
Nila: Natalia posted videos of you doing a triple loop and triple toe-triple toe combination. How have things been looking in terms of consistency when it comes to your jumps? It looks like you’ve gotten all your triple jumps back which is awesome!
Ting: I have gotten all my triple jumps which is amazing and has been my goal for the longest time. I have grown so much within the past two years and my body has changed, I have more of an adult body now. My coaches have been super supportive of it and I'm so grateful for that, there’s been no negativity there with body image. But my body is just so different. I went to the doctor this week and she told me my growth plates are still open. I’m 5’6 now and I measured myself last week. It's all crazy to me. I can’t believe I'm 5’6 and still jumping!
Ceci: I was literally just talking about this! That’s above average height and it’s awesome that you have all your triple jumps. I think it’s really great for taller skaters to see that height does not have to be a detriment to your jumping ability.
Ting: Absolutely. Training has been, when I’m healthy, all my jumps are fairly consistent. My body doesn’t necessarily feel 100% all day. Like certain jumps, I'm not able to train as much as I want everyday. My jumps are still on the inconsistent side especially with the flip and lutz. They’re slowly getting there and it’s still early in the season so I'm going to continue working. I definitely am still not 100% with my skating or my body, but I’m putting in the work. I’m hoping when fall comes and qualifying competitions come, I'll be where I want to be.
Ceci: Do you know when we will see you next, when you compete in the fall?
Ting: I'm going to be doing a bunch of summer competitions actually. I just did my very first competition in two years last weekend, at White Rose Invitational. It was so exciting just to be out there and I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. I definitely wasn’t ready for the competition but I needed to get myself out there. It went like how it has been going in training. Not perfect but it was how I had been training so I can’t really be upset or anything over that. I’m just quite not there yet but getting through it was the most important thing. It was a one day competition, I did my long program and the best part was when I stepped onto the ice after they called my name, I still remembered that feeling of when it’s my turn to compete, I have the ice all to myself. There’s a certain quiet around the rink and in my mind I had been visualizing this moment in the months prior to the competition because I couldn't imagine myself competing at all and just being alone for four minutes and having it feel familiar was really amazing. I had thought I had forgotten what that was all about. To stay calm and get through that full program was a win for me.
Ceci: I definitely relate. I was out of practice for months and months because of the pandemic and injury. You feel like you kind of have to visualize it and when you do, you don’t have confidence that you can actually remember how to compete and practice. I remember I was so nervous for my first practice, more nervous for any competition that I’ve ever had because I was so nervous about if I wouldn't remember how to do anything. That first outing is a victory because things didn’t go horribly wrong!
Ting: I was a mess leading up to that. I was calling everyone, my best friends, my parents, and coaches, crying to them. Like for the entire week leading up to it! And the Tuesday that week leading up to the competition, I had such a bad practice session, like it was absolutely awful just because I was a nervous wreck about it. Natalia is a saint for dealing with it all. When I was telling everyone how nervous I was, especially my parents, they were like, what are you competing at? Are you going to worlds or something? Why are you so nervous? Like I don't know! I just have never been so anxious before a competition so when the day actually came I was actually much better off. I had gotten all my emotions out but I'm not normally a crier so to be crying all week….that was a weird experience.
Ceci: I hate being nervous before competitions. I definitely get really nauseous and feel a pit of my stomach, it’s not a fun feeling.
Ting: I get butterflies. It’s usually my go-to feeling.
Ceci: I tell myself that that’s your body preparing for the adrenaline because your body is just nervous and knows it wants to compete. I always have to remind myself of that when I get butterflies.
Ting: I had a coach when I was younger tell me butterflies are what you feel when you are about to fly.
Ceci: That’s so sweet. I’m going to use that!
Nila: I'm always in a state of despair anytime I have to go to practice or compete. I actually had my first practice in several months because I was injured, and in my head felt everyone would judge me internally and that they're not going to say it but will definitely be thinking these mean things. It’s so ridiculous that I’m even thinking these things, when I myself would never internally judge someone when they come to practice for the first time in such a long time after an injury. But when it comes to me and I’m sure for others they’ve experienced something similar, you’re just so insecure about competing and being in practice for the first time. That first step of competing even at small competition is such a big deal and I understand the state of anxiety you were in. The next competition is going to be good for you, you’re going to do so well. It’s awesome to hear that you’re back competing and even if you’re not exactly where you wanted to be, you still made that first step to put yourself out there. I think that’s beautiful.
Ting: Thank you! I’m excited to see what I can do for the rest of the season. It’s really just been a new chapter in my skating. With what you just said with judgement you feel when you're trying to come back after an injury, it’s funny you mention that because i had talked to another skater about it this week . It depends how big the mental block is but at times you won’t even want to come to the rink because you’re so scared of what people will think of you. In my case I went from getting bronze at junior worlds to not being able to do a single axel. Coming back the second time from injury, in my mind people were expecting the best version of me that i had ever skated and this was so far from it. The disappointment I had anticipated that I expected would come from them would build on top of my own. I did not need to put myself through that mentally! Getting over that was huge. I still have that mental block at times but I'm skating for myself and realizing that this is what I can do now. And so I’m going to hone it. I’m not going to be in this position forever.
Nila: I think it’s important to understand that injuries are inherent to sport and it’s so unfortunate but I just think fear and anxiety, at least for me, is such a detriment to pushing myself to be the best I can. I need to get through that mental block and I'm glad that you're understanding that you didn’t need to put yourself through that. That’s really important. On that note I have a follow-up question.
When you do a sport for so long and you reach that highest level, there’s that sense of obligation that you have to persist regardless of whether you want to or not. And that’s not always the case for everyone, but I know you’ve said that you really want to rekindle your love for figure skating. How has this past year allowed you to take ownership of your career and re-evaluate and understand your relationship with figure skating?
Ting: Good question. I definitely wanted to rekindle my love for the sport. In the past year, a lot of big changes have been made in my life. Transitioning from high school to college, a teenager to entering young adulthood, physical and mental changes, all that, I have had to re-examine the position figure skating has taken in my life.
Going through the second injury, I wasn't sure if I still wanted to skate. I had been dealing with so much and maybe this was just a chance to get a fresh start to focus on college and the second career I'll have after skating. Then, I started trying a few different things but nothing quite hit the soft spot in my heart like skating did. I got my license so I started driving myself to the rink. Everything I’ve been doing in the past couple of months has been for me. If I went to the rink it was because of me, and everything had to be initiated by me. Even if I didn't want to go, that was my choice now. I could decide what I did that day.
In the beginning it was an adjustment having to. Your parents aren’t there, there’s no one there to hound you or lecture you for slacking off or showing up late. All of that is your responsibility now. That’s what I’ve been doing and it’s taken a little bit of time to adjust but everything I do now is because I want to be there. I want to show up, I want to skate, and go through that process to let myself train differently. I always thought I had to train a certain way, like I had to do this, this and this, like a checklist, which is what you should be doing but in my head it was so cut and paste everyday, there was no wiggle room for creativity. When I wasn’t able to jump, letting myself have creative moments to blast music I like and do a little bit of improv on the ice was completely freeing. Saying it now, it’s such a minor change but it was the biggest switch in my head. Like skating doesn’t have to be this one way that I've done my whole life. Skating can be fun and I really love it. I love skating now, it’s what I like to do so I show up to the rink everyday and have a good time. Regardless of how many times I've fallen in practice or if it was a terrible day, I’m still happy to be there. I know what the alternative is now, not being able to skate, so I’m just happy to be able to train and do what I want to do.
Nila: That made my day, it’s beautiful to hear. I've been a fan of yours for years and I’ve been wondering what’s been going on the skating front so it’s good to hear that update and that you really love to skate! You have experienced that alternative of not skating because you have been injured and applied to college. You got into college and you’re an adult now! That’s awesome and you’ve taken ownership of your life and career. That’s something I can kind of relate to because I’m the one who is reaching out to coaches to get extra lessons and go out more practices because before when I was high school, I would dread going to practice. I would hate it because at that point I was just doing it for my parents. Now that I’m 19, I’m an adult now. I still feel like a little kid but I am very much in control of the decisions that I make now and it’s beautiful to hear that it’s what YOU want to be doing. Thank you so much for sharing that.
Ceci: Ting, I also didn’t know if I was going to continue my sport when I went into college. I didn’t do it for a little while and with the pandemic I wasn’t practicing, so it made me so grateful for every minute I have at practice now. I know what the alternative is and a life without it makes me really sad. In a way it’s taught me to be more grateful for my life and the opportunities I have. Definitely in that transition from childhood to adulthood, in my experience, coaches stop being parental figures and really take that coach role in your life. As an adult and an athlete, I’m more receptive to that rather than a paternal figure-esque coach. I feel like they were good for different times of my life but I much prefer the all-business type of coaching approach.
Ting : It's a scary time in your life when you are transitioning. If you have been following me for a while you know that the influence my dad has had on my skating.In the past he took on a more overbearing role and was a controlling figure when it came to skating. Props to him because when he was able to let go. Some of my Asian peers still have parents that try to regulate and control certain things. For him to be able to take a step back and give me the freedom and independence to figure things out on my own was great. I’m proud of him for being able to let me do that and for him to have trust in me. It was definitely scary not having him by my side all the time and helping me through things.
Nila: I can relate to that in the sense that my parents came to this country and in my head, my sole goal is to make them proud. And in my head which is not actually reality, if i don’t reach the pinnacle of success I have failed them. My dad is similar to how your dad has been in the past and he really does want me to do the best, and I get that and I see how much love and care he has for me, but I think that me and him have different cultural backgrounds. I was born and raised in the states and I felt he was too overbearing and was nagging me. It’s been amazing to see how much he’s mellowed out since I’ve matured and grown up. He has more trust in me and it’s awesome that your dad can see you as an adult and sees that you’ve taken ownership of your career. I’m sure he’s so proud of you. We see how much progress you’ve made and I’m sure he does as well.
Ting: I hope so!
The conversation then segued to talking about one of Ting’s role models, Carolina Kostner.
Ting: Carolina Kostner from the skating world has been a role model. She’s tall, she's got those long lines…..
Ceci: That beautiful lutz! I love her jumps. We love Carolina. I still watch her short program from 2018 Worlds and cry because it’s so beautiful.
Ting: The Ne me quitte pas short program?
Ceci: Yes!
Ting: One of my all time favorite programs. I watch it too, every once in a while. I’ll have to go back and watch it again.
Nila: That short program, specifically at 2018 worlds is so damn inspiring. Like she is so tall and ridiculously talented.
Ceci: We’ll end this interview with a few fun rapid-fire questions.
Favorite place you’ve competed at?
Ting: Zagreb, Croatia where the 2019 junior worlds was. Oberstdorf, Germany, my first international competition. It was in this small, quaint little mountain village very snowy and we rode the gondola all the way up and the views were just absolutely stunning. Those would be my two top places. How I do puts a certain tint on the location too.
Dream job?
Ting: You mean post-skating? I really don’t know! That's not something I had quite thought about yet but I was in the law program in my high school so that’s something I’m interested in. I’m generally good at picking a fight but with my parents.
Ceci: My nickname is Chatty Cathy because I talk so much, I get that.
Ting: I also want to be able to be in control of my job. Maybe owning a business or something so I can have that control. I don’t know! Opportunities are endless, so whatever I want!
Glazed donuts or ones with frosting?
Ting: Glazed!
Nila: Good answer, correct answer.
Favorite figure skating program of all time in any discipline or maybe if you can narrow it down to your favorite program in the last olympic quad, so 2018 to now?
Ting: Okay so I have three. Carolina Kostner’s Ne me quitte pas, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s Moulin Rouge, and Papadakis and Cizeron’s Beethoven program.
Nila (very excitedly yells): YES! YES! Moulin Rouge, the answer I always want to hear.
Ceci: Yes, that program is so good. Moulin Rouge is what got me into figure skating and I watched it and just cried. You picked two ice dance programs, is that Natalya working her ice dance magic on you to hypnotic you or have you always liked ice dance?
Ting: No, I've actually always liked ice dance! I love the jumps and I’m a jumper but I just love how they move and glide and perform on the ice. To me, much more entertaining than what singles skaters do. Their performance is such a big aspect and I love how they draw you in, so I’ve always been an ice dance fan.
Nila: Good to hear whenever people tell me they think ice dance is boring. I can never conceptualize that anyone can think it’s boring! In my head, ice dance is the essence of skating. Ice dancers are just SO good. Ice dance is definitely my favorite discipline so that makes me happy! You saying Moulin Rouge is one of your favorite programs made my day. It's always the answer I love to hear! Have you decided on your music for your programs?
Ting: I have yes! My short is going to be This Bitter Earth by Dinah Washington and Max Richter. It’s really cool, my choreographer suggested these pieces. The lyrics from the Dinah Washington piece over Max Richter’s instrumental is so chilling, it’s so beautiful. It's hard to skate to because with most Max Richter pieces, they're more on the mellow side. They don’t necessarily build but they are so powerful so I have to embody the music and compose it a little bit with my skating. I can’t follow the melody the whole time because it is slower paced. I have to bring that power and excitement to it in a way that is fitting. That’s been a little bit of a challenge to just not blend in with it. If you hear it it’s just mellow and slow until the footwork, then it starts to pick up. It’s cool andI’m excited to do it. I wasn’t sure about it at first because I didn’t think I could do it justice. But I really like what we have done together so far on the program and will continue to work on to see what goes on with it.
My long program is going to be the same thing I've had for the past two seasons, a piece from Nocturnal Animals, combined with this waltzy piece.
Nila: We’re so excited to see you compete again. Depending on if your summer competitions are going to be streamed we will definitely be following your career this summer. We are so excited to hopefully see you in the fall. We really want to thank you and we are so grateful we got to have this conversation with you. Thank you for talking to us about the psychological impact of injuries. I know Ceci and I have both been there and at least for me, everyday I still experience that harrowing impact. Right now I’m having back problems and I really wish I didn’t have the back and ankles that are made of jelly but it is what it is. I can’t be stuck in that vicious cycle of being mad at myself and the world and I just have to go with the flow. It’s heartwarming to hear that you are doing so well because it’s really only been a few months since you've been seriously training and it’s awesome to hear that you have a good relationship with Natalia. All of us are so excited to continue to follow your career in the coming seasons.
Ting: Thank you guys so much for having me! I had a great time talking about everything and having real, open, and honest conversations about stuff.
Ting’s instagram: ting_a_ding