Bhavani Thekkada, an Indian cross-country skier who swapped a coffee farm in southern India for European slopes, is pursuing an unlikely Olympic dream.
Unlike many of her competitors, who grew up on skis, the 30-year-old discovered the sport later in life.
Despite being a longshot to qualify for the Milan Cortina Winter Games, her journey is already inspiring a new generation back home.
"I will be really grateful and happy if even one person out there in India is inspired by my journey and wants to do skiing, which already people are — I’ve been getting a lot of messages," Thekkada told The Associated Press.
Her social media chronicles and domestic headlines underscore her growing impact.
A bronze medal in a 5-kilometre race in Chile last September, though with limited competition, was celebrated as India’s first international medal in women’s cross-country skiing.
However, a recent 10-kilometre World Cup in Finland offered a stark reality check, placing her last among 81 elite athletes, more than 16 minutes behind Sweden’s Frida Karlsson.
“The top 80 girls who were competing with me had a whole team with them. They had coaches, they had wax technicians, they had managers,” said Thekkada, who has won several national titles in India.
“I was standing there with a few years of skiing (experience)... a couple of hours of training with some coaches.”
Being an Olympic qualification season, eligibility is flexible enough that Thekkada could get on the start line. The goal is not beating opponents — rather it's closing the time gap to improve her score.
“I may not be the best in the world but I’m really trying to be there,” she said. “I might be a couple of minutes behind the top athletes, but then I’m also a couple of years behind (in the) training they’ve had."
Diggins cheers her on
Thekkada had a similar result at last weekend's 10-kilometre World Cup race in Trondheim, Norway, which leaves the upcoming event in Davos, Switzerland, as her last chance to unlock an Olympic quota spot for India.
Largely self-funded, Thekkada operates mostly independently, so she was grateful when several national teams lent a hand in Trondheim. The Canadians and Chileans helped with waxing and training, and the Italians transported her equipment, she said.
And during the race, she heard from Diggins.
“Jessie was out there cheering the loudest for me during the race. It really meant a lot to me,” Thekkada said in an update on Instagram.
India takes notice
Besides media coverage in India, a member of Parliament from her Karnataka region, Tejasvi Surya, wrote on X: "Her feats make her an inspiration for the young generation.”
Thekkada has used her growing public profile to nudge Indian leaders. After her podium finish in Chile, she wrote on X: “I hope at least now the government starts noticing (and) supporting the winter sports athletes,” and tagged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Alpine skier Arif Khan was the only Indian to compete at the 2022 Beijing Games.
Only two Indian women — Shailaja Kumar and Neha Ahuja — have competed at the Winter Games, according to the Olympics' website.
Bollywood and Bjørgen inspiration
Thekkada didn't see snow until she was 20. She had become interested in mountaineering “after watching some Bollywood movies," she said. As a mountaineering instructor in the Himalayas, she also picked up Alpine skiing.
And then she watched the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, where Marit Bjørgen become the most-decorated Winter Olympian. The Norway great had given birth a couple of years before.
“Her journey fascinated me,” Thekkada said. “I’ve seen in the Indian community that ‘women can’t do that. Once you have a baby, once you are 30-plus, you can’t do this.' It really motivated me so much."
After Milan Cortina there's the 2030 French Alps Olympics.
“If not this year," Thekkada said, "then I want to push for the next four years."
Russian and Belarusian skiers to compete in Winter Olympics qualifying events
Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson lead GB figure skating team at 2026 Winter Olympics
First look revealed for Team USA’s Ralph Lauren kit for the Olympics
Three-year-old prodigy becomes youngest rated chess player in history
Russia claims its blanket ban on competing at the Winter Olympics has been overturned
US star Mikaela Shiffrin extends winning streak ahead of Winter Olympics
