REMEMBER the film Cool Running? The 1993 film is based on the true story of a bunch of plucky Jamaicans who represented their sunny, snow-free island at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics in the bobsleigh event.

Malaysia may soon have a movie with a similar plot, as Aruwin Salehhudin is the first-ever Malaysian woman to enter the Winter Games as an Alpine skier.

The daughter of former canoe Olympian Salehhudin Ayob, the 20-year-old lass is keen to promote a sport that is alien to most Malaysians due to the lack of snow-capped mountains to inculcate a love of skiing.

Climate obstacles aside, Aruwin uses social media to create greater awareness about the sport by sharing her experiences. This includes training reports on steep mountainsides as well as plenty of picturesque shots of exotic snow-covered locales.

She also posts updates on the various injuries she has suffered in trying to be better at her chosen sport, emphasising that she is not on a leisurely holiday but undergoing a serious training regime.

theSun catches up with the globe-trotting Aruwin, who is currently in Italy. She often posts interesting stories, photos of her athletic skills, picturesque mountains or nature and shares a little piece of her life with the world in a bid to attract more interest in this admittedly niche sport.

How do you use social media to create social awareness about the sport?

Aruwin: Currently, I use social media to show snippets of what I do as an athlete and an alpine skier. Especially since ski racing is not a well-known sport in Malaysia, I often post about what I do on the slopes, such as ski training and racing, as well as my training regimen.

I also share the realities and lifestyle of being an alpine skier, training in different types of weather, travel and the hardships that athletes sometimes have to face, such as injuries.

Of course, I plan to include more facts about my sport for my followers and others to learn more about the sport of alpine skiing as they follow me on my athletic journey.

Why do you think it’s important for female athletes to create awareness about women in sport or have an impact on social media?

Aruwin: Women in sports are nothing short of formidable. As female athletes, it is important to have an impact on social media to display the effort, passion and perseverance that we dedicate to our sport.

As athletes, it sometimes isn’t just a career but a lifestyle that comes with many sacrifices to achieve success.

Female athletes give just as much as any other athlete; however, there are still many instances where our performances are overlooked, overshadowed or undervalued.

For example, just last month, in relation to my sport, women competing in the 2024 FIS World Junior Alpine Skiing Championships did not get any live broadcasting for the technical events, Giant Slalom and Slalom, whereas the male technical skiers got live broadcasting.

It was an unfortunate issue because the event is an annual chance for alpine skiers between the ages of 16 and 21 to gain public exposure and gives a chance for winners to compete on the Audi FIS World Cup circuit, the highest level of competition in alpine skiing.

The components of an athletic career’s success rely heavily on media exposure, so it is important for female athletes to have an impact on social media.

Even more importantly, the impact that we female athletes have on social media is a way to bring each other up, a way to inspire women and girls worldwide to persevere in not just sports but in anything that they want to achieve in life.

Social media allows us to branch out and show that it’s possible.

How can an athlete share their skills or ways of keeping fit or tell a story innovatively to reach their followers?

Aruwin: Social media is always advancing to create new, innovative ways for people to reach an audience. Different kinds of social media posts allow athletes to share different aspects of their sport, such as video edits and pictures.

Videos are most popular for athletes to post because there are many different kinds of stories that can be created innovatively to share with followers.

Artistic videos with spectacular camera angles to show the intensity of the sport and videos sharing our daily lives, including training, recovery, nutrition and activities outside of training, are some examples of what athletes may post on social media.

Other kinds of posts could be about our results in competition or more factual posts to spread knowledge about our sport.

What would you like to share with your followers?

Aruwin: I am proud and grateful to be representing Malaysia in alpine ski racing and I am truly thankful to all of you for your kind words of support and for following along on my journey.

Most of all, I would like to thank my parents, who have been fully supporting my dream since I was five years old and still work very hard to support me physically and financially.

Alpine ski racing is a very expensive sport, especially when you are aiming for equal training and racing opportunities so as to have a realistic chance for success as one of the well-known skiing countries.

For us to progress further in this sport, I would be grateful for further assistance from the government and private sectors.

For a closer look at her sporting exploits, follow Aruwin on Instagram: @aruwin.sal.