Muni He, better known as Lily Muni He, has become one of the most followed athletes through her sport, personality, fashion and lifestyle. At just 24 years old, He is a professional golfer on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour and has over a million followers on Instagram and TikTok combined. She advocates for women in sports and hopes to inspire her young fans by showing them that anything is possible.
Courtesy of @lilymhe / Instagram
He was born in Chengdu, China, and spent her early years on the golf course with her father. She says he passed on his love for the sport and is her biggest inspiration. Her family later moved to San Diego, California where she attended the University of Southern California for a year. He balanced her studies and golfing, having four career starts on the LPGA Tour and making the cut as an amateur at the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open. By 2018, He had earned her maiden LPGA Tour card and decided to pursue her career full-time.
He doesn't remember a time when she wasn't golfing. She finds peace in the sport, a type of therapeutic practice in a world that is constantly changing. When she is out on the course, everything is calm and her focus is strictly on the game. He shares that her practice, both on and off the course, has also taught her discipline. She posts “behind the scenes” videos of her time spent on the course and in the gym on her social media accounts. It reminds her and her followers that every step counts, no matter how small, when working toward a goal. Lily Muni He’s end goal is to win on the LPGA Tour.
Courtesy of @lilymhe / Instagram
He has not only brought in fans to the golf world but to the motorsports industry as well. In 2019, she met Alex Albon, a Formula 1 driver for Williams Racing, through Instagram, after seeing him on Netflix's Drive to Survive docuseries. The two have become a sports power couple, introducing fans to each other's worlds and giving them an inside look at the lives of young athletes. They bonded over the similarities in their lives as professional athletes and talked through the highs and lows that the path entails. During their time together, they have gained thousands of followers and love sharing their personalities and adventures on social media. From impeccable fashion posts to humorous pictures, the pair are undoubtedly fan favorites.
Lily Muni He and Alex Albon, courtesy of @lilymhe / Instagram
He remembers the lack of female golf role models she had growing up and hopes her social media platforms will reach and encourage women to keep working toward their goals. She acknowledges the major pay gap between female and male athletes, not only in salary but also in sponsorship deals. He also wants to change the conversation around the misconception that women lack the same athleticism as men. With golf specifically seen as a man’s sport, she aspires to bring a new generation of women to the industry and raise support for women’s golf.
Edited by Madison Roost