As always, when it's Yibo's birthday I spend a fair amount of time reflecting on the past year, and on him as a person, and on all the things I've seen and heard from fans, from bloggers, from media and other sources.

And through this reflection one thing has stood out to me more than anything else: Yibo is a good influence.

Every time Yibo steps out of his comfort zone, he takes millions of people with him. Every time he challenges himself, he challenges millions of people to challenge themselves. Every time he tries something new, he inspires millions of people to try something new as well. Every time he stops to take a breath and look at the view, millions of people stop to do the same.

The standard thing to say here is that Yibo is an inspiration, but I'm not a fan of that word (as much as I may sometimes find myself saying it). It's too often used as a way to 'other' people and make them seem less/more than human.

In reality, Yibo is just a young guy living an interesting life, observed by uncountable people from every possible angle - favorable or unfavorable. How he lives his life and the kinds of choices he makes reveal a lot about his character as a person, but he also ends up setting an example in ways he might not expect or intend.

We've seen thousands of people take up climbing, surfing, tennis, skateboarding, dance and other healthy activities - many of whom would likely never have considered these things on their own. We've seen the stands at the racing venues pack full of fans, through wind and rain and scorching heat.

We've seen fans speaking with enthusiasm and authority about lap times, racing regulations and categories, and technical details about climbing gear and routes. We've seen people find new hobbies, interests, pursuits and dreams, all 'inspired' by Yibo's bold willingness to 'explore the unknown' and push his limits.

This more than anything, makes me so happy as a fan. I love to see people learn, grow, explore, challenge themselves, take on new interests and spend more time in nature.

As the letter-writer mentioned, Yibo has unintentionally corrected people's misconceptions about him, simply through living his life, being himself, and showing more of who he really is.

But more than that, he has reconfigured many people's focus and intent.

He has given people a reason to look up from their screens and see the vast world around them, and to explore that, really explore that and find something new and exciting.

"This moment is already the best place to begin."