Olympic cinderellas: The indomitable spirit of Daniela Ceccarelli 

Daniela Ceccarelli achieved just one major victory in her extensive career in the sport of Alpine skiing: a gold medal in the Super-G competition at the Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games in 2002.

However, the 46-year-old Italian is not a fan of her 16-year career simply being remembered for one result at the Games, as she explained in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com.

"It seems that my career is considered only for that fantastic result, but in reality I gave all of myself to skiing, and I acted in the 'White Circus' for many years, with infinite passion and pride."

"Cecca", as she is still affectionally referred to by friends, has a monumental passion for skiing, which led to her founding a ski club with her husband (former skier Alessandro Colturi) following her retirement in 2010. Ceccarelli's daughter Lara is a member of the Golden Team Ceccarelli (as the club is called) and is working to follow in her mother's footsteps.

"There is a big difference between us," Ceccarelli says, discussing her daughter. "I come from a small town in the center of Italy and I arrived late to skiing, while Lara has always been on the snow since being born when I was still active".

The 2001/02 season was far and away Ceccarelli's most successful. Before her gold-medal triumph in Salt Lake City, the Italian earned a second-place finish in a World Cup Super-G race in December 2001 and a third-place finish in a World Cup downhill contest a month later in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

Despite her impressive form heading into the Winter Olympics, Ceccarelli wasn't considered among the podium favourites for the Alpine competition in Salt Lake City.

"For me, being born in Lazio, an Italian region that has no tradition in winter sports, it was already an achievement to be part of the national team competing in the World Cup."

However, she would soon go well beyond that achievement on the slopes of Salt Lake City.

"I guessed a perfect race going beyond all limits and managing to achieve a monstrous result, thanks to a bit of luck".

Ceccarelli started her final run in the Super-G contest at the Olympic Games without feeling any pressure. After all, no-one expected her to reach the podium - much less win gold - but the Italian knew she could do well.

And so it proved, as she produced a marvellous performance to cross the finish line with a time of 1:13.59 that vaulted her into first place, to the complete disbelief of everyone - including Ceccarelli.

Yet she still faced a nervous wait as the event favourite, Janica Kostelic - who had already won a gold medal in the slalom event - started her run. The Croatian posted a blistering time, but it was still 0.05 seconds behind Ceccarelli.

Against all the odds, Ceccarelli, who had never won a major race prior to competing at the Games, was the Olympic champion.

"That win changed everything," she explains. "From that point on I stopped being 'Daniela' and became the champion of Salt Lake. Paradoxically, they were difficult years because I wasn't having fun anymore; I was feeling the "weight" of the medal... it took me a while to find myself again."

Ceccarelli adds that to win in Alpine skiing, an athlete needs a mix of talent, courage, technique, dedication and luck.

"Skiing is a sport in which details and work count for a lot; nothing must be left to chance and this is what I try to teach my boys. Inside you have to be a lion if you want to win, but they must also learn that in sport luck counts; sometimes you could have all of the natural ability but you don't make it because, while you're racing, the sun disappears and you can't see the trajectories to follow anymore."

"I'm happy with my career: until I was 19 I was skiing for passion and I would've never have imagined I'd achieve what I have. It's a dream that started when I was a child; I watched Japanese sports manga (Mimi Ayuara) and I dreamed of becoming a pro and I succeeded. That's why I say that the Olympic gold is important but what really counts is to build a path with commitment and determination in a discipline that you love deeply."

Ceccarelli would find the podium one more time on the World Cup circuit following her success at the Winter Olympics, finishing second in a Super-G race in December 2002. However, the biggest regret of her career would come the following year at the 2003 World Championships in St. Moritz, when she went out of the Super-G event due to a "bloody mistake" while she was leading the field. Sadly, injuries would further derail her career as she failed to return to the Games.

"Perhaps I could have achieved more but, as I said, I look back on my career with absolute serenity," Ceccarelli says. "I have lived a fantastic adventure, skiing with the best in the world, Deborah Compagnoni, Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso, making friends and travelling: skiing has given me so much and even today, after all these years, I am still obsessed with the perfect turn... I spend hours trying to understand how to master impeccable skiing; it's stronger than me".