It all started with a work trip to the mountains for Benjamin Alexander. Not a normal work trip, mind you. He was an international DJ, playing venues and clubs around the world and entertaining the kind of travellers you encounter in Canada's ski resorts, Ibiza's clubs, and the U.S. Burning Man festival. 

But the morning after the night before Alexander joined his friends on the slopes - and fell in love. 

"I decided there and then that I wanted to join them [and] I wouldn't come back on this annual trip as just the DJ ever again, I wanted to come back as a skier."

That was in 2016, but six years later Alexander is about to fly to Beijing to participate in the Winter Olympics, representing Jamaica as the Caribbean country's first ever Alpine skier. 

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Growing up in central England alpine skiing probably wasn't high on the sporting agenda, but he said he was inspired by the Winter Games on television, watching with his Jamaican father, and yes, that does include the 1988 Jamaican Bobsled team. 

"The biggest cheer at the Olympics is always for the host country, but the second biggest cheer is always for Jamaica," he said. 

"That moment in history 1988 and the movie [Cool Runnings] is just so powerful that honestly, I tried to live up to it," Alexander added. 

"I hope that my story actually serves as a continuation of that and maybe in 34 years, because it was 34 years since those guys went to the Olympics in Calgary, maybe in 34 years Jamaica will be attempting another outlandish sport, and they'll be looking to my exploits next month as the reason for doing that."

The pandemic threatened Alexander's Beijing Olympic dreams (he was stuck in the Caribbean for several months. It might be a dream for many, but it's not ideal for ski training), but a seventh place finish at the Cape Verde Championships secured his spot. 

The 38-year-old will compete against the world's best skiers in the Giant Slalom on Sunday February 13. You can follow the Beijing 2022 Games on CGTN across TV and online. 

Video edited by Steve Chappell