Winter Games longshots eye 2022 Olympic glory

Kolasin, Montenegro - Competing in Beijing also offers a chance to represent and bring wider attention to their countries that are lesser known to Alpine enthusiasts

After dabbling in modeling in Asia and later working in high finance in London, Benjamin Alexander’s life took an unlikely turn in his early 30s when the Jamaican national took up alpine skiing and set his sights on Olympic glory.

As the sole member of the Jamaican national ski team, Alexander faces an uphill climb to the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing in 2022, where he hopes to compete in the giant slalom event.

Alexander was among a dozen athletes — including others from far-flung warmer climates like India, Morocco, Ghana, and East Timor — competing in Montenegro’s Kolasin this week, where skiers were hoping to rack up points in a final dash to qualify for the games in Beijing next year.

For Alexander, a trip to China for the Games would cap an improbable journey for a novice skier who only first picked up the sport six years ago on a whim during a holiday in Canada.

“I went out without an instructor, I went down this run and I fell over 27 times,” reveals Alexander. “I just kept doing the same run over and over and over and over again.”

Since then, it’s been constant improvement for the 38-year-old.

“I became obsessed,” he adds, saying in the past two years alone he skied more than 450 days.

Alexander readily admits that he stands little chance against the sports elites — many of whom have been skiing since they were toddlers and have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into their careers over the years.

Instead, he hopes his improbable run inspires others, especially those from smaller countries and tropical climates, to chase any alpine dreams they are brave enough to nourish.

“A lot of racers have never heard about the country, so I am happy that I can share the story.” — AFP