The unlikely Olympian

Vanessa-Mae finished in last place in the women's giant slalom at the Sochi Games, but the violinist attracts plenty of attention due to her dramatic career change

She is known as renowned violinist Vanessa-Mae, but it was Vanessa Vanakorn who made her debut at the Sochi Winter Olympic Games. Representing Thailand, Vanessa-Mae took part in the women's giant slalom at the Sochi Games, finishing in 67th place, last position. But she enjoyed her first Olympic trip as an athlete.

"I nearly crashed three times, but I made it down and that was the main thing," the 35-year-old says. "Just the experience of being here is amazing. I was worried I was going to get lost (on the track), but I just about managed it."

Born in Singapore to a Chinese mother and a Thai father, Vanessa-Mae, who has sold more than 10 million records worldwide, was brought up in England and is a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Thailand. In Sochi, she competed under her father's family name, Vanakorn.

It was not her first time at an Olympics, Vanessa-Mae attended the London Summer Olympics in 2012 as the ambassador of Olympic worldwide partner, Omega, but this time she was thrilled to participate in her first athletes parade at the opening ceremony.

"Honestly, it didn't actually hit me until I saw the Olympic Flame being lit and I had tears in my eyes."

"It was my first Olympic Games where I was not only as an artist but an athlete, and to be there during the parade of nations was one of the most memorable moments of my life.

"This was a wonderful opportunity to be able to represent Thailand. I think that when I saw the opening ceremony, I understood the coming together of not just one country but every country."

She says she was thrilled to represent Thailand, a country that not only has no experience of snow, but is a very different society from where she grew up in London.

"Being half-Thai, for the first time in my life, to be able to represent my country and for that country to be Thailand at the Winter Olympics. I think that's such a fun thing to have an experience of in my lifetime," she says.

Vanessa-Mae started playing violin and skiing at age 4, but her music always took priority as she grew up and she considered skiing as just a hobby.

Enjoying the feeling of risk contributed to her decision to compete in Sochi.

"I think I've always been a bit of a tomboy. You know? I was an only child. I was climbing trees. I enjoyed robots. I enjoyed things like that," she says.

"People think that I'm really girly but there's a side of me that likes risk. And I took risks also with my music, starting out in pure classical music and then breaking away from that mold and going into crossover and using pop, rock, jazz in classical music.

"I've always enjoyed risk so I think you can't just switch off the risk button. I think that life is no fun without risk."

Vanessa-Mae came up with the idea of skiing at the Winter Olympics several years ago, but only started serious training six months ago and started competing in races only two months before the Games.

"The athletes have been racing since they were 6 years old. And in the short time that I've spent with them, I realized how much hard work goes into just being able to strap on a pair of skis and giving it your all," she says.

"The only thing about music is there is no right or wrong; it is interpretation. Here it's based on time. And that's why it's so telling, the results. I have to say though that I can't imagine a life without sport or without music. So I'm very lucky to exist in this world where we all get the chance to enjoy both."

At the Sochi Games, Vanessa-Mae clocked 3 minutes 26.97 seconds down the course, 11.35 seconds behind her closest rival, Xia Lina of China, and 50.10 seconds behind winner Tina Maze of Slovenia.

But considering that 23 entrants failed to start or finish the course, what she has done can be regarded as an achievement.

"It was cool. I think it's hard to stay focused, when you only have six months, training like me, but I was just happy I didn't get lost, because this was my first two-gates and I thought I was going to go the wrong side, but I made it down," she says.

"I arrived with just one racer behind me. I'm a last-minute kind of girl. I mean training for the Olympics with six months to go was a last-minute thing."

She says making the transition from musician to athlete was exciting.

"It's so funny from artist to athlete. I think when I was young playing the violin, it was in my body from a young age. Already by the age of 13 I had recorded three classical albums. I was quite blase about my successes, I think when you're a kid you just take everything in your stride."

"Now, at my age, to be skiing with girls that are sometimes half my age, it's great to have this new lease on life. I think you have to discover new things in every decade of your life better late than never. And so I cannot really compare it because having achieved so much as a child on the violin, every day I just want to challenge myself more and more."

Vanessa-Mae's participation in Sochi has drawn much attention from the media and other athletes.

"We spoke after the first race. I didn't know that it was her sitting next to me," says gold medalist Maze of the event.

"I respect a lot of what she does with music and she has a great personality."

Vanessa-Mae's hard work in training also impressed other skiers.

"It was a nice experience. She was really excited to be training with us, but we were equally as excited because she's such a big music star," Barbara Wirth of Germany says of Vanessa-Mae, who trained with the German team.

"She is extremely ambitious and works really hard, and we were impressed with how well she was skiing, despite the little amount of practice she has had."

leilei@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 03/14/2014 page29)