Skiing, once seen as an elite sport exclusive to professionals and the well-trained, is now being embraced by the masses, thanks to China's national push for winter sports and the hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. In 2017, Liu Zhongyuan had an unexpected encounter with President Xi in the skiing city of Chongli. Our reporter Huang Yichang caught up with him to see how his journey, inspired by a simple, lighthearted comment to the president, has unfolded.
"I thought it was a cool sport and hardly any people play it."
Skiing arrived late in China and was long considered a niche sport for the privileged few. Things started to shake up when the Winter Olympics rolled into the country.
XI JINPING, Chinese President: "We need to ride the wave of hosting the Winter Olympics to widely promote winter sports across our country. Promoting winter sports is aimed at improving public health. It ultimately aligns with our core mission—enhancing the quality of life for the people."
Ten-year-old Liu Zhongyuan, a Beijing kid curious about skiing, happened to be there attending a ski camp.
LIU ZHONGYUAN, Beijing student: "I was afraid of bumping into him, so I made a sharp stop, and President Xi caught me."
"Are you a boy or a girl?"
"Because I was wearing glasses and a helmet, he couldn't tell if I was a boy or a girl. He asked us if we wanted to participate in the Winter Olympics, and I said, 'Making it to the Men's Group in the Winter Olympics would be pretty hard. So I might not make it, but at the very least, I can participate as a volunteer!'"
Did the little boy's passion for skiing survive—or his dream of becoming a volunteer for the games come true? I set out on a journey to find out.
Huang Yichang Chongli, Hebei: "Liu asked me to meet him here, back in Chongli."
Halfway up the mountain, a group of people was in training.
"That's him, the tallest one there." The one with a national flag in his helmet.
"Is that you, Liu? Take off your ski goggles—let's see your face! You've grown so much from a little boy!"
It turned out that this time, Liu was not learning on the slope—he was the one leading the training, helping friends achieve mastery.
"They're all members of my ski team. I'm their senior coach, I'm their 'Big Brother.' Especially these two—they're really young, but they've improved very quickly."
Not everyone who loves skiing can teach it.
"Occupational qualification certificate, it's a proof of a coach, earned it on September 23."
As a full-time high school student, he then explained why a coaching certification matters.
LIU ZHONGYUAN, Beijing high school student: "If you have a coach certificate, it may help your applications for the Winter Olympic Games."
In fact that lighthearted interaction with the President became more than just a memory.
"From that day on, I have been working hard to become a Winter Olympics volunteer."
One year before the Winter Olympics, he said in a speech that to achieve his goal, he trained harder and incorporated volunteer work into his daily life, serving as a volunteer coach, safety instructor, and rescue team member.
"I hoped that by 2022, I could use the energy and skills I had accumulated over four years to serve the Winter Olympics."
Liu: "Beforehand I was skiing for fun, it was only after I meeting up with President Xi, I started a professional career in ski."
Reporter: "Did you finally achieve your goal of becoming a volunteer?"
Liu: "The regulation, the age baseline is 18 years old and back then, I was like 14
years old."
Due to strict age requirements, Liu's disappointment is inevitable. However, his efforts never went unnoticed. He had poured his energy into preparing for the moment —training hard, learning English, and excelling in school—while inspiring others to take part. His efforts continue to this day.
Today, Liu was once again guiding one of his trainees down the high level trails. Only when he takes off the helmet, you notice that:
Reporter: "How old are you?"
Skier: "78 this year."
The junior fellow is none other than Liu's grandfather.
LIU'S GRANDPA: "When my grandson started skiing, I thought this was a great sport. He told me, 'Grandpa, follow my movements carefully. You can keep skiing until you're 80 or even 90 years old.' It made me so happy!"
Liu's grandfather told me with the growing number of ski resorts and the rise in people's living standards, skiing, once considered an elite sport, is now being embraced by the masses.
"When I was young, I couldn't even imagine this. Back then, ski resorts were only for professional athletes—ordinary people had no chance to participate. So, I feel very fortunate to be living in this era, able to enjoy the boom of winter sports at my age. I feel truly blessed."
Look at Chongli now—a once impoverished county has been completely transformed by the rise of skiing.
"Since the Winter Olympics, more and more people have been coming here every day."
The school-organised ski lessons have made skiing more accessible than ever before. Chongli has also become a hub for countless international competitions.
DAVID WISE, American Freestyle skier: "For me, it is so excited to see China embrace snow sports, it's really exciting to see how many people are getting excited about skiing."
President Xi's vision is becoming a reality.
XI JINPING, Chinese President: "Ice and snow sports have barely expanded beyond northeastern China. If we can promote them further inland, such as by hosting events in Beijing and Zhangjiakou, I believe this could potentially attract two to three hundred million participants."
As the Asian Winter Games prepared to return to China, Liu began chasing his dream once again.
"For the Asian Winter Games, I applied twice. It was months ago when I was 17. I've promised them that when I come into the field, I will be 18 already, but they still kind of refuse me."
Despite narrowly missing out again, Liu isn't that discouraged now. The eight years has let him to understand that the journey has never been just about a title—it's about growth. It's about giving back to the community and contributing in his own way. Huang Yichang, CGTN, Chongli in Hebei Province.