In the lead-up to the Beijing 2008 Olympics, SBS will screen Olympic Journey: The Road to Beijing, a documentary following the story of Zhang Ning, a veteran badminton player for China.

Zhang Ning left home at the age of 12 to train full-time as a badminton player. She has managed to fight off the challenges of the younger set to remain on the national team in one of the most popular sports in China.

Enlisted into the Chinese national team in 1991, Zhang Ning remained largely unnoticed for 12 years before winning her first World Championship. An unstoppable Zhang Ning then went on to capture the titles of the Swiss Open, Singapore Open and the Hong Kong Open, culminating in a 2004 Olympic Gold. The 2008 Beijing Games are next on her list.

This documentary looks at both Zhang Ning’s sporting and private life, providing an insight into the intense world of Chinese sport at the highest level, and its impact on relationships and families.

A fascinating and revealing portrait of an athlete’s life in China during the build up to the Beijing Olympics.