At three years old, Denni Xhepa would get up at the crack of dawn and sneak up to the window to check whether the undulating mountains and slopes in the distance were still there. He would then put on his ski boots and protective gear and get ready to venture out into the cold while his family was still asleep.

Denni remembers every detail of his early life at Sestriere in the Piedmont Alps. He took a trip down memory lane with his characteristic upbeat demeanor during an exclusive interview with CGTN. 

The 18-year-old is not just a professional alpine skier but Albania's sole representative at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. 

A burning ambition drove him to rise early and stay motivated even at a tender age. Now reaping the rewards of his hard work by representing his country in Beijing, Denni said it took quite a while for the reality of his situation to sink in.

"It feels like a dream. It's just so surreal," beamed Denni. "There's no other experience like carrying the flag in the opening ceremony and representing your country in front of the world. This is truly an honor."

Denni revealed that he only received his Olympic call-up last month, and his first reaction was, "What's going on?"

"I was so excited," he said. "My mum and dad were surprised ... My brother was with me when the federation told me the news; it was a very emotional moment."  

Carrying the hopes of a nation is no mean feat, but as Denni attempts to navigate a plethora of first-time experiences under the global spotlight, he has taken his newfound fame in stride.

"Yeah, there's pressure building on all sides," he said. "But I'm here to enjoy the trip, enjoy the hospitality of Chinese people and enjoy the Chinese food. And then I'll have a race to compete. No matter what happens, I'm gonna keep improving myself."

As an up-and-coming young athlete who only made his debut two years ago at the International Ski Federation (FIS) event in Bormio, Italy, Denni surely has ample room for improvement. And his older brother, Sildi, is expected to play a vital part along the way.

"I taught Denni how to ski when he was a little child, but it wasn't until three years ago that I officially became his coach," said Sildi. "The most difficult part of the job is to separate my two different roles – one in the house being his brother and the other on the slope being his coach.

"I try my utmost to leave behind all the problems in the house when I head to the slope and vice versa. With that in mind, so far so good," he said. 

Denni chuckled in agreement, adding, "Things work out pretty well. On the slope, he is my coach, but in the Olympic Village, gym and anywhere else, he is always my brother."

The synergy between them is beyond doubt. During Sildi's time at the helm, Denni has been on an upward curve, setting a new personal best with a fifth-place finish in the slalom at a FIS race in Pila in 2020 and recording three top-20 finishes at the National Junior Championships in 2021.

Despite making steady progress over the years, Denni was quick to point out that he is still learning his craft and intends to enjoy the process instead of focusing on the end result in Beijing, where he is set to compete in two individual disciplines: the men's giant slalom and slalom.

"I'm 18 years old. I'm in the biggest event in alpine skiing. I couldn't ask for more," he said.

While Denni declined to set concrete targets for his Olympic debut, Kliton Muca, Albania's Chef de Mission for Beijing 2022, remains hopeful that his country's only Olympian will stand out.

"Sport's beauty is its unpredictability. You can never know how the race will end," opined Muca, who was also a member of Albanian's delegation for Beijing 2008.

"Traveling to China for the Summer Olympics 14 years ago was one of the best experiences I've ever had.  That memory will stay with me forever," he said, smiling. "We'll have to see how things pan out this time around."

(Reporting from the Yanqing competition zone)

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