Winter Olympics: Jamaica's Benjamin Alexander ready for 'surreal' giant slalom experience

Benjamin Alexander has a Jamaican father and English mother

Benjamin Alexander expects competing in the giant slalom at the Winter Olympics on Sunday to be a "surreal" occasion.

The 38-year-old will step on to the course representing Jamaica just seven years after skiing for the first time.

Born in Northamptonshire, he has made a career as a DJ around the globe.

But he says skiing against the world's best in Beijing will be "akin to having the opportunity to jump on the pitch at Old Trafford and have a kickabout with [Cristiano] Ronaldo".

Alexander was one of Jamaica's flagbearers at the opening ceremony.

He told BBC Radio Northampton: "Watching it unfold from behind the scenes before we were about to walk out, and knowing we were the eighth country in line to go out there, I got goose pimples and butterflies and all kinds of crazy emotions knowing this was the culmination of many years work to get here.

"It was incredible, absolutely mind-blowing."

But he is having to bide his time before taking to the Xiaohaituo alpine skiing field on Sunday, wearing a suit which he says will be an homage to the 1988 'Cool Runnings' Jamaica bobsleigh crew.

"There's definitely going to be a pinch-me moment, never having been on the world stage as an athlete with people who have had millions upon millions of dollars invested in their performance over the last 10 years. It's going to be completely surreal," he said.

"I've probably had almost 30 different coaches over the last few years and when I ski the course I can hear their voices almost like the ghosts of Christmas past shouting at me.

"I know on a course like this, it's going to be 'outside ski, outside ski, weight on the outside ski', just all the things you have to keep reminding yourself to make the skis perform in a way that's going to get you down the course as fast as possible.

"Sometimes you just have to keep going over the basics or you get overwhelmed by the emotions of the competition."

Alexander competed in his first FIS (International Ski Federation) event in March 2020 and qualified for Beijing at the Cape Verde championships last month.

It has been a meteoric rise and he hopes it will serve as an example to others.

He added: "I hope to inspire people who have taken a bit of joy out of my story to go to Milton Keynes, to the Snozone, or go on holiday to the Alps and give it a shot.

"There's a place for everyone and if I can get from zero to Olympian in six years, everyone can go from zero to having fun in a much shorter period of time."

• Let's get ready to rumble: WWE star Finn Balor joins Mark Andrews to talk all things wrestling

• A lift goes wrong: A British ice skating champion faces the fight of his life as he competes with the world's best