Wang Yibing, a third-grade student in Jinan, Shandong province, is still rushing between training grounds and competition venues with skis in her hands while her classmates have been enjoying their winter vacation.

The soon-to-be nine-year-old girl is already an experienced alpine skier.

When she was five years old, Wang firstly experienced skiing with her father, Wang Lei, who brought her to the ski hill. "She zipped down the hill without fear, but excited, and wanted to try again," Wang's father said when recalling his daughter's first skiing experience.

With support from her father, Wang started her professional alpine skiing training with Jin Guangbin, former coach of China's national ski team.

"Wang Yibing has a high understanding of technical movements and a good feel for the snow. Her strength and coordination are beyond the level of the children in her age, and she has made rapid progress in learning," Jin said. "I am very optimistic about her future."

Since 2020, Wang started to participate in skiing competitions and she currently has more than 10 skiing championships at the national and provincial levels under her belt, including the National Junior Alpine Skiing Open.

Wang Yibing competes at the 2021-2022 China Youth Skiing Grand Prix. [Photo/jinantimes.com]

Behind her accomplishments are her hard work ethic and tough training regimen.

To receive better training, Wang travels to Harbin, Hebei, Beijing, Guangzhou with her father.

From November 2020 to March 2021, Wang trained in Chongli district, Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, which is one of the largest ski areas in China. During that time, she trained for six or seven hours a day and also experienced the coldest temperature of minus 40 degrees Celsius.

Alpine skiing is a high-risk sport, and suffering injures is inevitable during training and competition.

"The scratches on my helmet are from a bad fall. I hit the flag and tumbled down the mountain," Wang mentioned when describing her worst crash. Wang added that she had lost her center of gravity, was launched three meters into the air, hit the ground, and woke up from a concussion.

"I also feel scared and tired sometimes, but I'm trying to forget soon. Because I love skiing and love the free feeling when I'm skiing, and I feel excited and fun," Wang said.

Her idol is the two-time Winter Olympic gold medalist and World Cup alpine ski champion Mikaela Shiffrin from the United States. "I hope to stand on the podium at the Winter Olympics in the future," she added.

Wang Yibing, an eight-year-old alpine skier in Jinan, Shandong province [Photo/jinantimes.com]