“I Was So Worried For Him”: Runner Kao’s Wife Recalls His Dark Days

On social media, 43-year-old content creator Kao Rong Sheng — aka Runner Kao — is known for his running and fitness videos, youth-focused content, anti-vaping advocacy, and glimpses of family life, all delivered in a relatable way that connects with younger audiences.

His wife, Lynn Teo, also 43 and an art educator, appears in his posts, though only a few offer a peek behind the scenes of their relationship. She also supports Kao behind the camera, helping with his content creation work.

When we met the couple for a video interview in March 2026, revisiting old photographs and milestones from their 26 years together, they were initially, and understandably, more reserved. But it’s in between takes that their dynamics came alive.

They bantered playfully. Kao cracked a joke. Lynn swatted him on the arm.

Married for over 14 years —  they tied the knot in 2012 —  the couple have two sons, aged 13 and 10. Known as Brother Kao and Mini Kao on socials, they frequently appear in Kao’s videos as well. 

An IRC to IRL love story

Their love story began in a way that will feel familiar to many who came of age in the 90s: on Internet Relay Chat platform, mIRC. 

After discovering they were around the same age and enjoying their online chats, the pair finally met in person.

“Back then, it was common to chat online with others from the same school or even different schools. We started talking online and eventually met up,” recalled Lynn.

Despite never having seen what Kao looked like, she agreed to the date. What made her comfortable meeting someone she had never seen before? “From our conversations, he sounded reliable,” she said simply.

Their first date was a movie — 2001 Hong Kong comedy, Jue Shi Hao Bra (絕世好Bra, La Brassiere).

There was just one small hiccup.

“He fell asleep,” Lynn laughed. “And he kind of snored a bit. A lot of people were looking at me.”

While many might not take kindly to their date nodding off on a first outing, Lynn took it in her stride.

“I was okay, I just thought that he must have been very tired, she said casually, adding with amusement: “I just continued to watch my movie.”

Kao, who admits he tends to fall asleep when sitting still for too long, had his own concerns.

“I was worried she might think she was the boring one, and that’s why I fell asleep,” he laughed. “But I’m also the type to show my true personality without hiding anything. And through that first date, I realised she’s the most genuine person I’ve met.”

“I’m also glad she took a liking to me,” he continued. “And found me mysterious instead of being turned off.”

He grinned. “Heng ah.”

Through a tough chapter

The pair had been together for a couple of years when Kao was enlisted for national service. He admits it was a difficult period. 

“I needed a lot of moral and emotional support,” he said. A self-described “hermit crab”, Kao struggled with the social nature of military life.

Unlike the version of himself often seen on social media today, he confesses he has never been naturally sociable.

I’m awkward, and I don’t thrive in environments where I have to socialise or converse a lot. But that was exactly what army life was like for me.”

“I became pretty depressed, and realised then that I have strong social anxiety. It was tough, but I also knew it was my responsibility to do my best in whatever role I was posted to.”

Throughout this time, Lynn was his anchor.

“She patiently waited for me to complete my service and counselled me when I was feeling down. It took our relationship to another level, and it was then that I knew she was the one I wanted to be with,” Kao said. Looking back, he added simply, “I’m so thankful she was there.”

For Lynn, the period was challenging in its own way.

“I was very worried for him,” she recalled. “We were so used to spending time together, just the two of us, without too many people around. So there was a lot of anxiety during that period.”

No proposal? No problem

By the time the topic of marriage came up, the couple had already been together for 11 years. Rather than a dramatic gesture, it was a decision that came about naturally.

Still, we had to ask: how did Kao pop the question?

He explained that back then, proposals weren’t really a thing. “We just both felt it was time to get married.”

In fact, their closest thing to an official proposal happened during their pre-wedding photoshoot, when the photographer asked Kao to get down on one knee and pose as if he were proposing. 

For Lynn, the significance of marriage was never about the proposal, a ring or paperwork.

To us, the marriage certificate was just another piece of paper. I’ve always believed that maintaining the relationship is more important.

And how did Lynn know he was the one?

There was no one defining moment, but her certainty grew over the years. “He’s a very reliable person, very detail-oriented and gets things done. I rely on him a lot.”

“That also means less work for me, she joked. “So I chose him.”

First comes love, then marriage… and steep parenting learning curves

Pregnancy, as Lynn described it, was “a terrifying experience”.

Her first labour alone lasted around 18 hours. “During labour, there were many moments when I wanted to give up,” she said. “It was 18 hours for the first one, and 24 hours for the second. I was really terrified. When was the baby going to come out?” 

The challenges didn’t end there. In the early months after the birth of her first child, Lynn struggled with breast milk production while also facing emotional strain, including the weight of outside voices. 

“There was a lot of pressure from older relatives saying babies must be breastfed,” Kao recalled. “We had many moments where we had to sit down together, and I had to counsel her.” 

Conflicting advice from different sides only added to the strain.

“We received so many suggestions on how to raise a child. Even from our own parents, there were differences in opinion. We followed some of it reluctantly, but there were also disagreements.”

Thankfully, when their second child arrived, things were much easier. With their experience and his calmer temperament — he laughed more and cried less — the adjustment was much smoother.

Parenthood changed both of them 

“We were already in our thirties, but we had to grow up even more. I was still quite childish then,” Kao recalled. 

He admits he wasn’t fond of children at first, but gradually became someone who “engages rather well with kids”.

“In the past, I had a bad temper, but having children made me more mellow, and I’ve learnt a lot from being a father. I realised I had to change my behaviour because my kids would model themselves after us, from my language to my actions. It made me much more self-aware.” 

Lynn underwent her own transformation. According to Kao, she wasn’t a very meticulous person before kids, but after their first son arrived, she became more careful and intentional, researching everything from enrichment classes to parenting resources to give her child the best she could. 

In fact, Kao says there’s little Lynn wouldn’t do for their kids.

We caught a glimpse of that devotion in a heartfelt Mother’s Day tribute he shared on Instagram. In it, he recounted the ways she has put her children first over the years — including breaking her leg while shielding them from a fall. She also experienced hair loss, which, according to Kao, stemmed from anxiety and stress from both work and motherhood.

He adds that she later recovered after a combination of treatments, exercising, and, of course, “lots of love” from the family.

Breaking generational parenting patterns 

When it comes to parenting, the pair are intentional about giving their sons something they felt was missing from their own childhoods: the freedom to make their own choices.

Growing up, Lynn says, there wasn’t much room for negotiation.

“I just did what my parents told me to do,” she said. “A lot of it was about carrying out what they wanted.”

As a mum, she has taken a different approach, preferring to give them room to explore, make mistakes and figure things out for themselves, while staying on the sidelines to guide them when they need it.

Kao is firmly on board. “Kids learn more from mistakes,” he said.

The couple are also deliberate about expressing affection in ways that weren’t common when they were growing up. Telling their children “I love you” and “I’m proud of you” is part of their daily routine.

In fact, Kao credits Lynn for teaching him that.

“She gives our children a lot of respect,” he shared. Having struggled with low self-esteem herself, Lynn hopes her sons will grow up with the confidence to pursue whatever they set their minds to.

But in their household, the lessons go both ways.

“I think I’ve become more childlike because of my kids,” Kao said, amused. “They teach me a lot of brainrot and Gen Alpha lingo.”

The price of social media fame

Of course, being a widely recognised content creator comes with its own set of challenges.

Both Lynn and Kao chalk it up to the expectations that come with being in the public eye.

“Whether it’s a good day or a bad day, people recognise him and want to take photos with him,” she said. “He has to be consistent in the way he behaves.” 

Kao agreed, adding: “Even on my bad days, I try to respond more enthusiastically when people come up to me.”

There are privacy concerns, too. Over the years, some followers have managed to figure out where the family lives, with curious youngsters occasionally showing up at their doorstep.

Still, Kao views fame as a package deal.

“There are positives and negatives,” he said. “The positive is that it pushes me to be a better person and be more socially responsible.” 

Putting their love into words

After 26 years together, we wondered if there was anything left unsaid — or if there’s anything they still want to hear from each other. So we asked them to say it on camera.

Kao doesn’t hesitate when talking about Lynn’s impact on him. Without her, he says, he would likely have remained quiet and reserved.

“She makes me a more outgoing person,” he said. “And she gives me so much confidence to do the things I do, like my content creation.”

For Lynn, watching Kao’s transformation over the years has been nothing short of remarkable.

“It’s a miracle to see him like this now, compared to when I first knew him,” she said, as tears began to well. “He’s learnt to express himself through the years and changed a lot. He’s opened himself up.”

She wiped her tears away. “And he’s doing a good job encouraging so many youths. I’m proud of him.”