But she carried on to honor her husband.

"It was his real dream to come to learn in China," she says.

"He motivated me to come. Give it up and return and not pursue what we came here for? That sounded easy. But it wasn't easy at all."

She says her tai chi "family" - the masters and students - also provided a great support network.

Oliver's spiritual mentor then was master Dong Bin, who died in 2009 at age 88.

She says of their first meeting: "I had been told that his skill was of a very high level and for some reason I had a mental image of a powerful, big man. But my shixiong (fellow male student) pointed to a small, wizened old gentleman, sitting on the ground.

"I felt amazed as I realized that this was the master himself, and then a sudden feeling of pleasure hit me. Of course this was exactly the kind of person who would be a tai chi master - the last person you could imagine.

"I learned tremendously from him. He did not only teach me physically the tai chi but also the philosophy of how to be a better person, how to keep going when you felt you were tired."

The master was sent to a labor camp during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) because he wanted to quit his job to practice tai chi full time. He was not allowed to practice in the camp. So, he secretly did the movements under the blanket when lying in bed.

"He was treated unfairly. But he was not angry or bitter or hateful but just became sweeter, nicer and kinder," Oliver explains.

"His ethos is that one should not pursue riches and fame but endeavor to be happy and share one's knowledge and wisdom with others."

Following the master, Oliver learned to live a simple life - one perhaps more traditional than many Chinese. She does tai chi in the morning and brews kung fu tea for guests. Ink-wash bamboo paintings hang on her apartment walls.

Oliver spends her time outside tai chi teaching English and attending cultural-exchange events.

She founded the Double Dragon Alliance in 2005. The organization enables Chinese kung fu masters to teach martial arts to Westerners and organizes seminars and events for them to experience Chinese massage, acupuncture, traditional medicine, calligraphy and tea ceremonies.

She also teaches tai chi to domestic and foreign disciples.

Rose inspired 55-year-old Briton Virginia Withers to take up the martial art. That led to an eight-year friendship.

"Rose is a lovely person," Withers says.

"She is kind and supportive - always enthusiastic and generous with her time."

Shanghai Jiao Tong University associate professor Luo Jifeng has learned tai chi with Oliver since 2009 and often joins her organization's events. His home is now a site for foreign visitors Oliver invites to experience ordinary Chinese life.

"I admire her most for her selflessness to share what she knows," Luo says.

"She's happier to see our success and achievement than her own."

Because of her contribution to cultural exchange, Oliver was given the Shanghai Magnolia Award on Sept 30, 2013. The award, named after Shanghai's city flower, is given to foreigners who have made significant contributions to the city.

And she has been inducted as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2011 by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II - one of the highest tributes to a citizen.

"She (the Queen) asked me some questions about China (at the ceremony)," she recalls.

"We talked about the cultural exchange in building friendship. And she said: 'This is very important work. You must keep it up'. And I said OK.

"You see," she says, jokingly, "now I have no other choice."

Contact the writer at wuni@chinadaily.com.cn.