Among China's 1.4 billion people, you'd be hard pressed to find a single one that doesn't adore Yang Yang.
In the same sport that made Stephen Bradbury famous in Australia, Yang Yang won China's maiden winter Olympic gold medal in short track speed skating at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.
What followed was an incredible period of domination that has made Yang Yang one of the sport's all-time greats.
But a little-known aspect to her 13-year sporting career — with its six consecutive world championship titles, five Olympic medals and 34 world cup titles — is that she might have had none of it without a soul-searching journey to Australia after "bombing out" at her first Olympic Games in Nagano 1998.
"I lost in my first Olympics, and I was really disappointed," Yang Yang told The Ticket.
Yang Yang's "losing" was a silver medal in the 3,000m relay.
Her description of it points to three things: The pressure the young skater was under, the blame she put on herself and the demands of a system that expected nothing short of victory.
"Of course, as an athlete, you always worry about your future, and I started thinking about my future," she said.
"I was trying to go abroad to understand a different culture and to learn English, actually, to try to understand more about the world."
She knew a Chinese coach in Australia with whom she made contact.
Soon after the 22-year old skater, with some big decisions to make, was heading to Brisbane.
"I definitely learned something in Australia. I learned about passion from the athletes there," she said.
"They are not only training, but they are also doing school, and working, and training with full passion.
"I realised it is something I needed more, for my future, if I wanted to continue with my sport.
It was a gold medal, the first of two at Salt Lake and there were more to come.
Her third and final Olympic campaign was Turin in 2006. From her three Olympic campaigns she'd earned two gold medals, two silver medals and a bronze.
Games an opportunity for China
Now she sits at the top table of the World Anti-Doping Agency, as a vice-president, and is chair of the Beijing 2022 Athletes' Commission.
Her connection to these Games is not just as China's most-revered winter athlete. She helped drive the winning bid by lobbying members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) seven years ago.
"I was very lucky," Yang Yang said. "I remember, at that time, I was trying to convince the IOC members to vote for China because ,from my heart, I really believed it was time for China to have a Winter Olympics.
"Not only for China but [also] for the world."
Part of China's bid was an ambitious plan to develop a winter sport industry, with the aim of convincing more than a quarter of a million Chinese to regularly take part in winter sport.
"For example, in Chongli, where we're going to have a skiing event … it is bringing winter sports to China, bringing an excitement to Chinese people. It's something very passionate for me," she said.
"I'm inviting my friends to come to China, to see and feel our happiness as hosts … I am just so excited.
"Of those seven years [of planning], there is only three days left."
As a woman who has travelled the world — first as an athlete, then as part of the broader sports and Olympic movement — Yang Yang understands the differences in culture, opinions and politics.
It doesn't make it any easier though when those cultures and ideological differences collide around a global event that is central to who she is.
So, what does she think when she sees reporting in the West constantly returning to questions of diplomatic boycotts and human rights, and the view held by some that China should not be allowed to host the Games?
"Well, I cannot change what other people think, or what other people talk [about]. I don't know what is behind it. I don't want to really know," she said.
"But what I can say is I am very confident. I know we are ready for the Games, I know how much work we have put in. I know how much we want people to enjoy the Games in China.
"I have strong confidence, and that's what I want to do, action is better than talk.
"We will show the world that we are ready to host the Games and we will provide the best conditions for the athletes."
There is an expectation that Yang Yang will be back in the sports spotlight on Friday night.
It is hard to imagine an opening ceremony of a Winter Olympic Games in China without China's favourite winter sport athlete playing a leading role.
