Greta Small is Australia's leading female Alpine skier, but it's Steven Lee's record she's trying to hunt down.

"Many local people on the Border would know Steven and he is Australia's best ever performer, he finished 19^th in the downhill, at Pyeongchang I got 20^th, so I'm coming after Steve's record, that's for sure," Small laughed.

The 26-year-old started skiing on Mount Buffalo as a toddler, but now skis at either Mount Hotham or Falls Creek, when home.

Three-time Olympian Lee suffered a stroke at home at Falls Creek in September, 2020, rocking the tight-knit Winter Olympic family and overall skiing fraternity.

He was Australia's biggest name in the sport through the 1980s and also provided television commentary at a number of Games since.

Small has now equalled Lee's mark of three games but, unlike his high profile, she remains something of a quiet achiever, certainly outside the sport.

But it's a fascinating story after leaving Australia, part-time, as a child to play 'catch up' with the world's superpowers.

"At that age, 12 and 13, it's about developing your training and your skiing skills, which isn't possible only skiing two months of the year in Australia," she revealed of her unique upbringing.

"If you want to be competitive on the world stage, you have to be doing what the Europeans and the North Americans are doing."

But in a sport where skiers can hit 130kms and are pulling 3G's (three times the force of gravity), crashes and injuries are commonplace.

Small has now racked up five knee surgeries.

"It hasn't been an easy journey, that's for sure, in ski racing that's, unfortunately, part of the gig," she explained.

"There's pretty serious injuries, but I've put in the work and come back from all of them and I'm definitely skiing at a higher level than I ever have before."

When you're hitting such frantic speeds, the first thing you want is a thorough knowledge of the course.

That's not the case in Beijing.

"In the World Cups and past Olympic competitions, we have events on the hill and you get to know the course, but no one's seen China," Small offered.

"No one's ever skied on the resort in Beijing, no one knows what the speeds are going to be until the first training run.

"My focus is all on my performance, visualising the type of run I want to have and the type of skiing I need to do."

IN OTHER NEWS:

Small will contest three events - downhill, Super-G and combined.- with the Games starting February 4.

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