OlymPicks: Q&A With Alaska-Trained Winter Olympic Freestyle Ski Manager Qingping "Domo" Yu

From the powdery white, long-established summits of Alaska, to the newly minted Beijing skiing resorts for the 2022 Winter Olympics, Qingping "Domo" Yu has certainly covered a lot of ground. The Beijing-born athletic consultant (pictured above right) is now working as the sports manager for the Olympic Games' freestyle ski and snowboard program. It's a job that has offered her the opportunity to meet top-notch skiers and to gain insider knowledge about China's winter sports potential ahead of the 2022 Games, a position that prompted Associated Press to profile her recently.

READ: Jackie Chan and Lang Lang on Hand for Official Unveiling of 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Logos

Yu kicked off that career as an avid skier in her spare time while studying at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Below, she tells us more about her winter sports journey and China's prospects ahead of its hosting of the Winter Games.

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The AP profile of you says "Former University of Alaska Fairbanks student Qingping Yu has met some of the best skiers in the world through her work in the international alpine skiing industry." What are some examples of the best skiers you've seen, and what are some memorable moments from those meetings?
The best skier I've hung with is Will Wesson, he's the one I've shared the most time with, he's sponsored by Line Skis. He came to China five or six times this year and we became good friends. He's one of the best skiers on the rails that I've ever seen, and he's so passionate. He's a role model for anyone hoping to turn their love of skiing into a career instead of just a hobby, and we share that passion. We both feel there's no need to get a serious, boring desk job – instead,  just do what you love, because life isn't all about money.

I've seen him ski in the summertime, at an indoor ski slope in Shanghai. They don't even have real snow, it was just artificial stuff made from plastic, but Will was able to grab some of it, rub it on a rail, and ski on that. He said when he was young he built his own ski area in the backyard. His face was so happy all the while, you could really see his passion.

How does it feel to spend so much time with your skiing heroes?
Well, I've never felt star struck by them or anything, they've mostly become good friends. To me, they just seem like normal people who are good at skiing, even though they are celebrities in their fields. But I'm amazed to see them ski and do amazing tricks. That never gets old!

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You're currently preparing China for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics as the sports manager for the country's freestyle ski and snowboard program as well as sales director for the Chinese ski tourism business FreeSkiZone. What are your duties at both of these jobs, and why do you enjoy doing them?
I was in charge of alpine skiing last year, but now I'm focusing on freestyle skiing and snowboarding, which is great because I think those sports fit youth culture more, they're more trendy and exciting. So I'm happy to promote those sports and their culture in China.

I like sports consulting because it's not just a job for me, but a lifestyle. I want to promote athletic culture in China, because I think if people have greater access to more sports it can help change their personalities, help them become more outgoing and confident and help them enjoy nature and the great outdoors. I think that's better for people and for society at large, rather than being stuck indoors all the time, working in an office cubicle, feeling isolated.

It sounds like you discovered your love of skiing and nature, and your disdain for being stuck behind a desk, as a student in Fairbanks Alaska. Tell us about how a girl from the big city of Beijing took to the rustic Alaskan mountains so quickly.
Ever since I was a kid I dreamed of going to Aurora. I love the mountains. I was there on a summer trip once when I saw the mountains for the first time, and right away I knew I belonged in that place. So I transferred to the University of Alaska in Fairbanks and spent all my time outdoors, doing mountaineering trips and skiing every day that I could. The snow is so powdery there, it's just amazing – some of the best in the world. I felt so lucky to stay there throughout my undergrad.

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Lastly, what do you think about the development of winter sports in China, and what parts of the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics make you most excited?
[Xi Jinping] said his goal is to have 300 million Chinese people participating in winter sports by 2022. It's a huge opportunity for those of us who work in the industry. And as a sports lover, I think this is a wonderful moment in China, especially for much of our youth to participate in winter sports for the first time. In the past decade, I've found that China is developing a sedentary lifestyle. But now with all the ski resorts opening and the development of winter sports, we can go out and enjoy the winter more, and maybe it can even motivate us to improve the environment and keep the air clean.

I think winter sports are developing exponentially in China, but most of the participants are first-timers. So if they give it a try and if their first experience isn't good, they'll probably give up and never come back to the resort. So the key for us in the skiing industry is to provide good service and to let people enjoy the sport and stay safe.

You can read all of our ongoing 2022 Winter Olympic coverage here.

Photos courtesy of Qingping "Domo" Yu