Peng Junyue, a Nanshan-based luge athlete, represented China in the men’s double sled at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, making his debut at the world’s foremost sports competition Wednesday.

Peng Junyue in preparation for a race. File photo

Although Peng didn’t bring home the medal, he still described this experience as magical. “We (Peng and his teammate) just want to feel the vibe of the Olympics for this time. Competing with the world’s best athletes has been a magical experience,” Peng told Shenzhen Special Zone Daily.

The young man, who was born in 2000 in Hainan Province and grew up in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, didn’t see snow until he was 15. Becoming a luge athlete was totally out of his expectations.

In 2015, China started to build its first national luge team. “The national team watched our training and performances in tests, like running. Finally, two of my classmates and I entered the next selection round in Beijing,” Peng said.

“I mistook it as a selection for basketball players and headed to Beijing just for a leisure tour, as ice-and-snow sports are too far away from my life,” he added.

To Peng’s surprise, he was selected to join the country’s luge team due to his excellent physical fitness, kicking off a sports career on ice in 2016. The zero-based former basketball player made great progress via training and competitions during the last five years.

In 2019, Peng signed contracts with Nanshan Sports School and Shenzhen Amateur Sports School and meanwhile settled down in Shenzhen, officially representing the city in various games.

At the 14th National Winter Games in October that year, Peng won gold medals in the double sled and team relay, marking Guangdong’s best performance at the National Winter Games.

For the ongoing Beijing Winter Olympics, the Chinese team Peng is in bagged tickets to all luge events. “It is the first time for China’s luge team to compete with top-notch athletes as a host squad. I am very proud to witness the new history of China’s luge sports,” he told the Daily.

“Who would’ve ever thought that a former basketball player would transform into a winter sports athlete participating in the Olympics! Up to now, I still find it unbelievable,” Peng said.