Dreams take flight

Cidan Yuzhen first encountered ski mountaineering in 2020, as winter sports gained momentum in China ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

The sport combines uphill climbing and downhill skiing, demanding endurance, strength and precision, skills Cidan Yuzhen honed in the high-altitude environment of Xizang.

"She had never skied before," said Chinese national ski mountaineering team coach Jin Yubo. "At first, she fell almost every time she turned."

Cidan Yuzhen's exceptional fitness, though, earned her a spot on the national team in 2020.

"When we tested athletes on uphill climbs, boys and girls together, Cidan Yuzhen would finish first," Jin said.

"But what impressed us most was her determination. She fell many times, yet she never gave up."

In 2023, Cidan Yuzhen won two gold medals in the U18 individual and vertical races at the ski mountaineering World Championships.

At the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, she became the only female athlete from Asia to compete in the sport.

Thousands of kilometers away, her family watched from Xizang. In their village, neighbors now recognize them as the family of a world-class athlete.

But one key figure was absent: Tashi Wangdrak passed away two years before his granddaughter stepped onto the Olympic stage.

"Life has changed completely," Tashi Wangdrak told Xinhua in 2023.

"Thanks to the country's support, my granddaughter can be successful as she is. They'll never have to live the life as we did as children."

For Cidan Yuzhen, the Olympic journey is just the beginning. She said that representing China meant "showing the spirit of Chinese athletes to the world".

After the Olympics, Cidan Yuzhen returned home, greeted by family and the vast landscape that shaped her resilience.

"I just can't accept losing. I always want to be the first," she said.

"It's about challenging yourself and keeping on pushing your limits."