Most of Bhavani Thekkada's competitors grew up on skis. She grew up on a coffee farm — in southern India .

So as a cross-country skier, she's a little behind.

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Thekkada has been hitting European tracks in recent weeks trying to keep her Olympic dream alive. She's a longshot to qualify for the Milan Cortina Winter Games , but she’s reaching some other goals along the way.

“I will be really grateful and happy if even one person out there in India is inspired by my journey and wants to do skiing, which already people are — I’ve been getting a lot of messages,” the 30-year-old Thekkada told The Associated Press in an interview.

Thekkada is chronicling her journey on social media and making headlines back home. He

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