by sportswriter Huang Yaoman

LHASA, March 30 (Xinhua) -- A new generation in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region is forging dreams across uncharted frontiers. One such trailblazer is 18-year-old Cidan Yuzhen, a rising star in ski mountaineering.

Born in 2006 in Luntse County, Shannan city, Cidan Yuzhen grew up in a farming and herding family. Her grandfather, once a serf in Chanang County, gained freedom after Xizang's democratic reform in 1959 and rebuilt his life in Luntse.

By age seven, Cidan Yuzhen was herding sheep and harvesting highland barley. On snow-draped grasslands over 3,800 meters above sea level, she traversed mountains, often scaling two peaks daily to graze livestock - unwittingly laying the foundation for her athletic future.

In 2016, she was selected for an amateur sports school in Shannan, one of two chosen from her elementary school. Though her parents questioned her path, she persevered. "I just wanted to try something new," she said.

Cidan Yuzhen began as a race walker, but her trajectory shifted when Xizang prioritized snow sports ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Her exceptional fitness earned her a spot on the national ski mountaineering team in 2020.

Ski mountaineering - a blend of alpine climbing and skiing - debuts at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Despite growing up surrounded by snow, skiing was entirely new to her.

"The first time I watched a race video, I thought, 'Wow, this is amazing!' But I had no idea how to even ski," she recalled.

Early training brought relentless falls, but her high-altitude endurance proved an asset, allowing her to rival male athletes on climbs. She embraced the sport's adrenaline: overtaking rivals on ascents and speeding downhill. To hone her skills, she trained with men's teams, enduring grueling drills that accelerated her growth.

In 2023, she dominated the U18 individual cross-country and vertical races at the Ski Mountaineering Youth World Cup, adding two world championship golds that year. In 2025, she made history as the first Asian Winter Games ski mountaineering champion, winning the women's sprint.

"She's only 18," said Jordi Canals Fontan, secretary general of the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF). "Most athletes peak after 25, but she's already dominating the youth division."

Medals from global competitions adorn her home, yet Cidan Yuzhen remains relentless. Currently competing at the Ski Mountaineering Youth World Cup in France, she eyes her ultimate goal: an Olympic podium. Enditem