Dozens of villagers from Yanqing District, about 74 km away from downtown Beijing, gathered at a local indoor skiing resort for a three-hour daily practise – a routine that has been going on for more than five months.

They are members of the Haituo farmer ski team formed on July 11, 2017, and most of them were born in Zhangshanying Township, administered by Yanqing. Over the last four years, their commitment to popularizing winter sports has never wavered.

“There were only 18 members when we set up the team, but now the number has increased to nearly one hundred,” said Lang Enge, a 32-year-old leader of the ski team. “It is my responsibility to lead this team to embark on a professional path in a long run.”

Lang, though still young, has already become an “old captain” of the farmer ski team. “Our members used to be fruit farmers, second-hand car sellers and temporary workers, and I was a shepherd. It was the Winter Olympics that brought us together, so we should seize this opportunity,” Lang said.