Then again, Vanessa-Mae may be able to apply her slalom skills to negotiating her way around that.

CNN: PEOPLE

Some of her more rock- and techno-inspired pieces show how much violinist Vanessa-Mae enjoys setting a breathtaking pace.

CNN: PEOPLE

Violinist Vanessa-Mae has put her musical career on ice for a year in a bid to ski for Thailand at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

BBC: Vanessa-Mae puts music aside for a year in Olympic bid

Mae, whose full name is Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson was born in Singapore to a Chinese mother and a Thai father but was brought up in the UK when her mother remarried a Briton.

BBC: Vanessa-Mae puts music aside for a year in Olympic bid

"Skiing is a passion for me, " says Vanessa-Mae.

CNN: PEOPLE

No slave-girl role for Vanessa-Mae, though.

CNN: PEOPLE

Action star Jean-Claude Van Damme, violinist Vanessa Mae and singer Seal also attended the celebrations, which was to mark the leader's 35th birthday on 5 October.

BBC: Hilary Swank 'sacks manager' after Chechen appearance