09/03/2026
HUMANS OF CHI: VICTOR YOUNG
BASKETBALL REFEREE + CHI CREW MEMBER SINCE 2021
“I discovered Chi during COVID through a friend of mine, Stephanie Mills, who was doing a virtual class on New Year’s Eve when no studios were open. I never envisioned doing a live class online but immediately took a liking to it, and when Chi eventually reopened I started attending. I resonated to Chi because it was so easy to attend as a full-service studio. Not having to bring anything to practice was huge, and it’s comforting because a lot of times, my schedule changes, and I’m like, ‘Oh, I can get a class in.’ I’ve practiced in a lot of studios, and I just feel Chi is one of those places that’s not generic, it’s like heartfelt. It’s very comforting to go. As a basketball referee, yoga has helped me maintain myself on the court not only physically, but with my mind and spirit. People that don’t know think it’s the physical part. That’s actually the easiest part. As you get older, you actually want to feel good. I get enough cardio from the work I do on the basketball court. But the mental thing is huge. That’s actually the biggest part of what I do. And with the playoffs, I mean, basketball is just a game, you know, it’s not life or death, but there is a lot at stake, and in those key moments, there’s pressure from the game, the players, the coaches, even in the arenas, they’re loud, or what have you. So, the mental part of just being in the moment and slowing everything down. It’s a metaphor for life. That’s the thing that’s actually helped me the most over time. I am a Type A, but being able to slow down all of that, and you’re not thinking about the past, and you’re not thinking about the future, you’re right there where you need to be.”
Profile feature: Victor Young
Writing credit: Fanen Chiahemen
Photography credit: Ryan Eccles
