Athletes

Club: Ready IF
Born: Drammen, 16.09.1999
Residence: Oslo
Occupation: Athlete, student
Hobbies: Golf, gaming
Favorite music: Hip Hop
Favorite film/series: The untouchables, Interstellar
Favorite food: Pasta
Favorite athlete/team: Viktor Hovland
Follow online/connect: @mbalchen
What made you go all in on your sport?
A wish to be as good as I possibly can in something, and to show that I’m still very capable even tho I am paralyzed!
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
I have to say to get selected to represent my country on the biggest stage in the world! Aka the Paralympics.

Club: Ready
Born: Oslo.  01.05.2001
Residence: Oslo
Occupation: Athlete and part time accounting consultant
Hobbies: Golf
Favorite film/series: Suits and Inglorious Bastards
Favorite food: Mexican and indian food
Favorite athlete/team: McLaren in F1, Viktor Hovland in golf
Follow online/connect: Instagram: @marcus_gn
What made you go all in on your sport?
I went all in when I realized it was more than just a sport — it became my passion and my job. I’m grateful I get to do what I love every day, always chasing the goal of becoming a little better. I also really enjoy being part of a team around me and working toward shared goals. Since it’s not a team sport, that support means a lot. Over time, going all in just felt more and more natural.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
My greatest moment as an athlete is simply the journey — seeing how much I’ve grown and how far consistent work can take one. And being in my second Paralympics is pretty cool. 

Club: Plogen Skiklubb
Born: Bergen, 23.08.1999
Residence: Karmøy/Oslo
Occupation: Athlete, student
Hobbies: Hanging out with friends
Favorite music: Dire Straits
Favorite film/series: The West Wing
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite athlete/team: Manchester United, Federica Brignone, Jannik Sinner.
Follow online/connect: @jesper.sp Instagram
What made you go all in on your sport?
The urge to become a little better every day, and see how good I could get. It also came natural for me growing up in a family that went skiing and finding adaptive skiing as an arena where I could participate on equal footing with everyone else.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
There are a couple to choose from. Winning my first paralympic gold in Korea 2018 in Giant slalom with my whole family in the stands is up there for sure. Also winning the downhill at the World Championships in Hafjell, Norway. And my four golds from Beijing.

Club: Volda Turn og Idrettslag
Born: Volda, 14.04.1997
Residence: Bergen
Occupation: Professional skier & Physiotherapist
Hobbies: Running, Golf, Climbing
Favorite music: Dire Straits
Favorite film/series: Gutta på Tur
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite athlete/team: Volda TI
Follow online/connect: @bernt_marius
What made you go all in on your sport?
Desire to become a better skier
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
To be selected for the Olympics

Club: Fossum Idrettsforening
Born: Trondheim, 06.03.1975
Residence: Eiksmarka
Occupation: Software Project Manager
Hobbies: Mountain biking
Favorite music: Pink Floyd
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite athlete/team: Vegard Ullvang
Follow online/connect: Insta: @kjartanhaugen
What made you go all in on your sport?
Passion for exploring limits.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
250 in Vasaloppet 2007. 12 min behind winner Oskar Svärd

Club: Gjesdal IL
Born: Nærbø, 07.03.2001
Residence: Lillehammer
Occupation: Guide
Hobbies: running, and just live the surfboy lifestyle all summer
Favorite music: Norwegian Hip-hop
Favorite film/series: Wolf of Wall Street/ Samurai Sikkerhet
Favorite food: Neapolitan pizza with burrata and prosciutto di San Daniele
Favorite athlete/team: Erling Braut Haaland
Follow online/connect: @geir_lervik - Instagram @ Geir Lervik - Strava
What made you go all in on your sport?
When I was a kid, I did many different sports. So when the training got more serious, I quit one sport almost every year and ended up with the sport I liked most: XC skiing, and from there all my focus was to get the best skier possible, and for the last 4 years together with Thomas as a guide.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
As an athlete 50km classic Norwegian championship Hovden 2025. I did a good race and the atmosphere was amazing. Guide i would say the second plays world championship in Toblach 2025 with Thomas, a solid race with good shape and good Skis.

Club: TIF Viking Langrenn
Born: Colombia, Barranquilla 🇨🇴 adopted to Norway
Residence: Originally from Osterøy, lived mostly in Bergen city, but recently moved to Biri, Gjøvik.
Occupation: previously owned a business in nail design and makeup artistry
Hobbies: Flowers, volunteering, Netflix and chill
Favorite music: country, hipp pop and rap music
Favorite food: Asian and Indian
Favorite athlete/team: Sweden para team, favorite athlete Heidi Weng
Follow online/connect: @indimilena on insta/ milenaindira on snap
What made you go all in on your sport?
My first WC 2019 as rookie, it was exciting to see all the competitors and how high the level was internationally. One guy from Brazil Cristian W. Ribera taught me some cross-country technics.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
When Harald Østberg Amundsen took an impressive bronze medal in the 15 km freestyle, at the World Ski Championships in Oberstdorf in 2021. Despite a nasty fall and having to leave his sunglasses behind on the trail.

Club: Vind IL
Born: Gjøvik, 02.08.06
Residence: Gjøvik
Occupation: Athlete/student
Hobbies: Gaming and friends
Favorite music: Love it all
Favorite film/series: Vikings
Favorite food: Taco and pancakes
Favorite athlete/team: Petter Northug
Follow online/connect:instagram  @endrelykken
What made you go all in on your sport?
I have been going cross country all my life, love the nature in winter. I love it and do it.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
That moment is yet to come, just wait.

Club: Kvaløysletta skilag
Born: Tromsø, 12.01.2001
Residence: Lillehammer/ Norway
Occupation: Full-time athlete.
Hobbies: Fishing, hunting and playing guitar, violin and piano
Favorite music: 80-90´s rock, and pop
Favorite film series: movie: Spirit stallion of the cimarron. Series: Stranger things
Favorite food: Self-hunted Moose meat and vegetables with sauce.
Favorite athlete/team: Marit Bjørgen
Follow online/connect: Instagram: @vildenilsen_
What made you go all in on your sport?
My family has always been an active family, taking both me and my siblings out on ski trips from a young age. I went on my first crosscountry race when I was 2 years old, and decided early on that I wanted to become the world's best cross-country skier. I was classified as a para athlete in 2015, and have since then put everything into becoming the world's best para cross-country skier.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
My greatest moment as a cross-country skier is probably when I won gold at the World Championships in Trondheim 2025. A historic World Championships where both able-bodied and para-athletes were allowed to participate in the same championship.

Club: Sauda IL Langrenn
Born: Sauda, 21.10.1999
Residence: Sauda/Lillehammer
Occupation: Athlete/Student
Hobbies:  Fishing, discgolf, wilderness, back country skiing
Favorite music: I like a lot of different music
Favorite film/series: Not sure, I guess I always liked the James Bond genre
Favorite food: Cream-baked potatoes and steak
Favorite athlete/team: Ole Einar Bjørndalen  
Follow online/connect: Insta: @thomas_k_o
What made you go all in on your sport? 
I loved being outdoors and developing as an athlete, the challenge and i wanted to see how far I could take it
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
Second place in the world championships 10km classic and gold with the team in the relay in Toblach 2025

Club: Gaular IL
Born: Førde, Norway, 16.08.2000
Residence: Lillehammer, Norway
Occupation: Guide, student and founder of a mountain race
Hobbies: Skiing, running, mountain exploring, cycling and other activities outside
Favorite music: Kurt Nilsen in Christmas 
Favorite film/series: Top Gun Maverick
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite athlete/team: athlete: Endre Lykken, team: Gaular
Follow online/connect: instagram: @larsovrebo
What made you go all in on your sport? The love of activity in childhood combined with a very good environment of coaches and friends led to an escalation of serious training to become fast.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? Competing in the national championships relay as a junior with my club Gaular il alongside the greatest skiers in the world. 

Club: Stabekk Curlingklubb 
Born:  29.09.89, Bærum 
Residence: Drammen 
Occupation: General Manager, Lier Swimming Club 
Hobbies: Lego, Pokemon, knitting 
Favorite music: I don’t listen much to music, I prefer audio books. Favorite book is Harry Potter.
Favorite film/series: Greys Anatomy 
Favorite food: taco, beef  
Favorite athlete/team: Alexander Dale Oen
Follow online/connect: Me: @idjupskas My team: @teamnorway_paracurling
What made you go all in on your sport? 
Sports were my sanctuary. It was the one place where no one pointed out that I was different and had a disability. In sports, I could compete on equal terms with others and do the same things as others.

2: What is your greatest moment as an athlete?

My greatest moment as an athlete was when my mom and I went to Iceland alone for a competition, right before the qualification for the London Paralympics closed. I swam in and just barely made the cut, and managed to qualify for London 2012. It was an insanely good feeling, and hard to replicate.

Club: Trondheim Curlingklubb (TCK)
Born: Trondheim, 09.12.1973
Residence: Trondheim
Occupation: Peer mentor in Clinic of Rehabilitation, St.Olavs Hospital
Hobbies: Curling, fishing, outdoor life, motorbike, a bit gaming…..
Favorite music: A lot. From opera metal to ambient.
Follow online/connect: FB: @gaskogstad Insta: @curlinggeir LinkdIn: Geir Arne Skogstad
Team insta/FB: @teamnorway_paracurling
What made you go all in on your sport?
The possibility to make it into the big competitions having fun together with great people
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
The first Paralympics medal in sledge hockey in Salt Lake 2002, And redoing curling WC gold for the third time in Peungchang 2024

Club: Halden CC
Born: Sarpsborg, 20.05.1966
Residence: Skjeberg
Occupation: Coindealer
Hobbies: Music, film, coins
Favorite music: Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Beatles
Favorite film/series: The lord of the rings
Favorite food: Steak. Salmon
Favorite athlete/team: Maradona
What made you go all in on your sport?
Got a letter from the leader of Halden CC
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
Silver in Paralympics 2018

Club: Trondheim Curligklubb
Born: Verdal, 16.08.1998
Residence: Trondheim
Occupation: Music teacher
Hobbies: Knitting, crocheting and making own music 
Favorite music: Imagine Dragons and Moddi is my favorite music
Favorite film/series: Love Harry Potter and drama movies.
Favorite food: Anything with chicken 
Favorite athlete/team: Team Ramsfjell
Follow online/connect: @miacoda1 (Instagram), @mialarsensveberg on TikTok
What made you go all in on your sport?
After getting the chance to try out at the national team i 2021 and the Paralympics in 2022 I just had to try to be better the next 4 years. My first Paralympic was really fun, but I did not have the talent that I wanted. So by having 4 new years to get to perform I finally moved to Trondheim for the Ice rink. After moving to Trondheim, I could train every day and get the follow up from Olympiatoppen and get in my best shape for the Paralympic 2026. Now I have the chance to see if I took the right choice or not. At the end I am really proud of myself for all I have achieved.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
I have two types of greatest moments: When we took the gold in the World championship in 2024 I found out that I can do everything I want to, and taking gold with my team was a great feeling. 

The other moment is when I finally got the powers in me to get back to the sports again after many years of feeling that Parasport was not for me. To be a part of others life when they finally get the chance to see what parasport can do for you is one of the greatest feelings in life. When you can share a sports moment with friends and family. 

Club: Halden Curling Club
Born: Fredrikstad, 16.12.1971
Residence: Fredrikstad
Occupation: Curling
Hobbies: Driving with my Harley - Davidson. Love traveling and be with my friends.
Favorite music: AC/DC -Metallica - Ozzy - Iron Maiden. When i relax i like Calm Music.
Favorite film/series: I like most of everything. But not horror movies.
Favorite food: Beef with black pepper sauce
Favorite athlete/team: Thomas Ulsrud
Follow online/connect: Instagram @Fredriko71 - Facebook: Ole Fredrik Syversen
What made you go all in on your sport?
I watched curling on tv and I wanted to try. After that, I have loved this sport. I have been playing curling now for 15 years. Was around 38-39 years when I started playing curling.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
My first World Championship in 2017 in South Korea Pyeongchang. When I got the award from all the players “Sportsmanship Award Beijing 2021”.

Club: Kongsberg idrettsforening
Born: Drammen, 26.10.2007
Residence: Drammen
Occupation: Athlete
Hobbies: Skateboarding, Basketball and being social
Favorite music: favorite song - Higher, artist Croixx
Favorite film/series: Creed movies & Never back down
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite athlete/team: Norwegian Snowboard Team
Follow online/connect: @Niklas_parasnowboarder
What made you go all in on your sport?
It started with me understanding that I could become very good at this if I put in the effort, and it's also cool to be able to inspire others that they can achieve anything they want if they just put in the effort, so I started snowboarding to work towards a specific goal of becoming an Olympic champion.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?
My best memory was probably when I got a double silver medal as a 13-year-old in the European Cup in the Netherlands, Landgraf, and I also got a 3rd place at the Norwegian National Championships against abled-bodied in the 16-18 year old class, which was really fun.