Ema Klinec, the first woman ski jumper to cross the 200-metre mark, is the latest Slovenian athlete to become a picture book hero to inspire young people to achieve their dreams.

The book Deklica, ki je poletela z mirom (The Little Girl Who Soared in Peace) sends the message that inner peace, discipline and support of the loved ones are crucial for discovering a winner within yourself.

Written by Bojana Fende Habula and illustrated by Tina Perko, it is a true fairy tale about a girl who achieves sporting success and develops as a person with the help of her parents, a mythical eagle, a dragon, and the wise-man Karnion.

"This was a new experience for me. It took a lot of work to make the picture book and I'm very grateful to all," said the 26-year-old ski jumper, who has scored a number of feats and is ready to compete in another season.

She was crowned world champion at the 2021 Nordic World Ski Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany.

In March 2023 she became the first woman to fly over 200 metres before setting the world record at the first official ski flying competition for women in Vikersund, Norway, at 226 metres.

She finished third in the overall World Cup standings in the 2022/23 season, and chalked up three more podium finishes in the 2023/24 season.

"The fairy tale is about values, because I think that people or athletes should strive not just for results but for the values that are important in life and that make life worth living," said Klinec.

The author, Fende Habula incorporated elements of gestalt therapy into the story to explain the notions of inner peace and courage. "Ema is everything I admire in people," she said.

Klinec is the sixth Slovenian athlete to inspire a fairy tale after skier Tina Maze, basketball star Goran Dragić, hockey player Anže Kopitar, cyclist Primož Roglič and climber Janja Garnbret.