As the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games are less than a week away, volunteers from home and abroad are excited about the upcoming international event, with some calling it a "once-in-a-lifetime experience".

A volunteer performer at the opening ceremony on Jan 28, Mayentao Komani will be the only Malian involved in the event as the subtropical country in West Africa is not sending competitors to the Winter Games.

Winter sports are something not often seen by people in Komani's hometown. "In Mali you can only see people practicing winter sports on TV or in movies, so I was really impressed when I first tried skating and snow sports in Beijing,"Komani said, adding that his friends were proud of him for being part of the opening ceremony.

Though most of his role in the ceremony has yet to be revealed, Komani said he will be a part of the show which involves both Chinese and foreigners to convey the message of getting together for a shared future as they rally around the official motto of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

Also an MBA student at Beijing International Studies University, Komani started preparing for the ceremony in early October when participants from different countries got to know each other through activities at the prestigious Tsinghua University.

"Activities like singing and playing together focus on making us familiar and open-minded with each other because the basic thing is about overseas students and Chinese students pursuing one common thing and to show the world we are together for a shared future," he said, adding that they all ended up being friends.

Not having access to smartphones during the long rehearsals was expected to be a challenge for them, but later they were looking forward to the time together as they could share stories and play cards while waiting for their practice sessions, Komani said.

Komani first went to China in 2015 as a contestant of Chinese Bridge, a contest for foreign students on their mastery of the Chinese language. He later applied for a scholarship to keep learning at a prep school and obtained his bachelor's degree in International Relations at BISU.

"I like participating in international activities, and I think this may be the biggest event I will ever take part in," the 24-year-old said.

When the event is over, Komani said he will share his stories and photos with family and friends in his hometown.

"I hope the whole world knows that we are fine in China," he said in Chinese.

Li Ruoyun, a volunteer from China's Taiwan, will serve as an assistant and help athletes.

"It's a rare opportunity for me to participate in the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. I think I am responsible for sharing the experience with people in my hometown and letting them feel the spectacular event held in Beijing from the other side of the Straits," Li said.

A student at BISU, Li said she learned about the Games when she was a freshman and the dream of taking part finally came true.

Li has been passionate about sports since she was a child and was once the captain of her school softball team. However, she is not so familiar with snow and ice sports as Taiwan seldom sees snow due to its subtropical climate.

"Snow is kind of sacred in Taiwan and we don't have access to winter sports, so my family thought I was really lucky to catch the event and they fully support me," Li said.

Li's birthday coincides with the opening ceremony. "One of my birthday wishes is that everyone stays healthy amid the pandemic."