Born in Northamptonshire, the UK, the now Jamaican skier Benjamin Alexander lives a rather courageously “follow-your-heart” lifestyle, as he had a short-lived career in finance before starting to DJ around the world, including in countries like Thailand and China, where he has worked from Shanghai to Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong.
Come February, Beijing is going to be his next travel destination as he is set to become Jamaica’s first Alpine skier at the Winter Olympics after qualifying under the B criteria, just six years after he tried the sport in Canada for the first time.
“On a scale, this [Beijing Olympic Winter Games] is also absolutely my first international competition ever in life,” Alexander said in a video call with the Global Times.
“I mean I’ve been DJing in front of thousands of people for years, but I have never done this in front of a TV with millions of viewers watching.”
Jamaica’s skier Benjamin Alexander during a training session Photo: Courtesy of Stephen Shelesky
‘Opening ceremony’ in Beijing
Having DJed for the Burning Man festival for 10 years and having lived in Ibiza, Spain, Alexander’s ski dreams began in 2015 when he joined his friends on a trip to Canada. He was astonished by the scenery and enjoyed the beauty of the mountains.
That was when Alexander knew he “wanted to do this.”
A few months later he was in Whistler, Canada, and took the opportunity to take skiing lessons. Falling down time after time, he nevertheless enjoyed the process as he continued to improve. Two years later, he returned to the city as a skier.
Speaking about the huge life transition, he said: “I’m happy that I can actually be in bed early, as you know a DJ is an all-night-long career.”
For the upcoming trip to Beijing, Alexander has his own thoughts on what he wants to accomplish with this opportunity.
“For me Beijing 2022 will be an opening ceremony, a debut. Because… my God, there is no chance that I can compete in an international situation where many professionals have been putting hundreds of thousand dollars a year into their training equipment. We’re playing different games,” he explained.
“But what I hope is that my story can actually inspire people, especially people in China where I know the government has achieved bringing 300 million people into winter sports. If I can start something at 32, and within six years will be able to go to the world stage, [this shows] that the things you think you can’t do, you can do.”
On Thursday, the service department for the Beijing Olympic Winter Games confirmed that some fixed-time special tourism events will be available for all the athletes within the closed loop management surrounding the Games.
“That’s very good news that we will be able to do that this time,” the 38-year-old said during the interview, noting that this will be his first trip to Beijing.
Caribbean slide
In addition to its first ever Alpine skier, Jamaica has also qualified for three Olympic bobsleigh events, a first for the country, Team Jamaica announced on their official Twitter account on Monday, noting that they will compete in the four-man, two-man and women’s monobob at the Games.
The country’s national bobsleigh team made headlines with their legendary attempt at Olympic glory in 1988 in Calgary, Canada. The story of athletes Devon Harris, Dudley Stokes, Michael White, Freddy Powell and last-minute replacement Chris Stokes was adapted into a film in 1993, the iconic comedy Cool Runnings.
Chris Stokes is now the president of Jamaica’s bobsleigh federation.
Jamaica’s skier Benjamin Alexander during a training session Photo: Courtesy of Stephen Shelesky
