Supreme athlete chases his dream

In 2012, Torsongan's father gave him a mountain bike that cost 5,000 yuan ($695), which was a lot of money for his family.

He loved the bicycle so much that he used it at every opportunity. Two years later, he entered his first competition, although there was no fairy-tale ending as he lost his balance on a steep slope.

But he was determined and kept testing his limits. This paid off as he has won medals at all levels of the sport in China.

On Oct 18, 2018, Torsongan was the first to cross the finish line during a high-altitude bike race in the Xizang autonomous region.

But surprisingly, it was the national cross-country skiing team that he impressed with his stamina. They were scouting athletes in search of new talent for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Accepting the invitation from the team marked a turning point for Torsongan's career, but challenges remained.

"After training with the team during the day, I had to go to the gym to level up my upper-body strength in the evening," Torsongan said in an earlier interview.

"To keep up with the pace of the skiing team, I had to put in a lot of extra training."

He didn't make the final list, but worked as a technician assisting in the operations of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Regardless of the outcome of the 14th National Winter Games, Torsongan enjoyed the challenge of competing, and has his eyes set on the next race.
"I will continue with my efforts. As long as I don't give up, I still have a chance to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics," he says.