Athletes

Club: Norna-Salhus
Born: 25.11.1993
Birthplace: Goma, DR Congo
Residence: Bergen
Height: 175 cm
Occupation: Athlete
Interests: Walking, swimming
Favourite music: Reggae and Afrobeat
Favourite film/series: How I Met Your Mother
Favourite food: Lasagne
Follow online/ connect: Instagram @Salumkashafali
What made you go all in on your sport?: Sport is fun, I love to win and hate to lose. When I realized I could make it to the top internationally, I decided to go for it.

Club: Norna-Salhus IL
Born: Oslo – 01.06.1999.
Residence: Oslo
Occupation: Student
Favourite music: hip hop, pop, rap, etc.
Favourite food: Lasagne
Follow online/connect: @vegard_sverd
What made you go all in on your sport? I can’t imagine doing anything else. I love track and I love pushing myself in the pursuit of my own potential.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? My greatest moment so far is a bronze medal in long jump from the 2024 world championship in Kobe.

Club: IL Tyrving
Born: Manizales, Colombia 19.10.1992
Residence: Lommedalen, Norway
Occupation: Athlete
Hobbies: Boardgames with family and friends
Favourite music: Celine Dion
Favourite film/series:  I`m Celine Dion, Gossip Girls, One Tree Hill
Favourite food: Tacos and Christmas food
Favourite athlete: Melina Robert-Michon
What made you go all in on your sport? I threw balls, including snowballs, better than everybody else in my school – even better than the boys. Clearly throwing would be my sport. I participated in Norwegian junior championships for abled bodies before being classified, but becoming a para-athlete obviously meant better opportunities. With European records in javelin and winning the European championship in discus I also qualified for support from the Norwegian Olympic committee and the game was on for real!
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? 
Winning the European championship and being fourth in both the Tokyo Paralympics and in the World Para championships in Dubai and Kobe.

Club: Kristiansand Badminton Club
Born: Trondheim - 19.01.1998
Residence: Kristiansand
Occupation: Athlete
Hobbies: Outdoor activities
Favourite music: Sing-along songs
Favourite film/series: Norwegian reality television series
Favourite food: Italian food
Favourite athlete/team: Norwegian Paralympic Team
Follow online/connect: Instagram: @hellesagoy
What made you go all in on your sport? I wanted to see my potential and how far I can reach. My ambition is to be the best in the world.  
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? I won the world championships in Tokyo 2022. Only one year after the Paralympics.

Club: Grenland SK
Born: Porgrunn - 27.04.1989
Residence: Calgary, Canada / Stathelle, Norge
Occupation: E.D. of Ultimate Para Sports Association
Hobbies: Skiing, both downhill and XC
Favourite music: All of it!
Favourite film/series: I like docu shows, like Crip Camp ;)
Favourite food: Sushi
Favourite athlete/team: Many, but Tom Pidcocks love for the sport is admirable.
Follow online/connect: @wheelyfastsuzie
(I´m the creep that just watches everyone else without posting anything myself…)
What made you go all in on your sport? When I went to my first World Cup in Belgium in 2018, I got trashed, I had no idea of the level of the competition, what I had gotten myself into. I was dead last… Lots of my family came to watch, with Norwegian flags, bracelets and everything. It was humiliating. But I knew I could get as fast as them. And ever since I have climbed the ladder, slowly but surely.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?  At the World Championships 2023 I had a crash 3 min into the race. Took the inner line in a turn, got cut off and went up on the sidewalk with my back wheel and flipped. Full of caffeine and adrenaline I pushed myself up and went hard. I caught up with one after the other, everyone was spread out it was such an explosive start. I played Pacman and loved it. I got bronze in that race.

Club: Hasle Hestesportsklubb
Born: Oslo - 14.02.1961
Residence: Haderslev, Denmark
Occupation: rider
Hobbies: horses
Favourite music: 80’ pop
Favourite film/series: Hair
Favourite food: Mum’s pancakes
Favourite athlete/team: Kjetil Andre Aamodt
Follow online/connect: @jenslassedokkanpararider
What made you go all in on your sport? I started with therapeutic riding as a child, and moved into para-sport. I had my national championship debut in 1989, and was motivated to go all in after that.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? I won the European Championship in Rotterdam in 2019 with Aladdin.

Club: Oppdal hestesportsklubb
Born: Hadsel 08.01.1971
Residence: Trondheim
Occupation: Rider
Hobbies: Horses
Favourite music: I like vinyl, techno and pop music
Favourite film/series: Outlander
Favourite food: Caesar Salad
Favourite athlete/team: Isabell Wert
What made you go all in on your sport?
I have always had a great passion for horses. And when I became disabled, it sort of became a job for me. Something that I could concentrate on and get good at, so that I could take my mind off my illness.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? My greatest experience was being at the WC in 2022. Oh, it was a fantastic experience to win the bronze place in the Nordics this year!

Club: Soma Ryttersportsklubb
Born: Stavanger - 27.07.1986
Residence: Sandnes, Norway
Occupation: Healthcare Worker
Hobbies:Knitting 
Favourite music: POP music
Favourite film/series: Friends
Favourite food: Pizza
Favourite athlete/team: Cathrine Dufour
Follow online/connect: instagram @christina_pararytter
What made you go all in on your sport? Being able to find back to my passion and connection with horses in Dressage riding after my life was changed by rheumatic disease
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? Being able to represent Norway in the 2024 Paralympic Games

Club: Lysefjorden Rideklubb
Born: Bergen - 08.01.1981
Residence: Bergen
Occupation: Physiotherapist, right now I'm working with therapy riding
Hobbies: Walking in the mountain with my dog, being social with friends and family and being in the stable with my horse
Favourite music: Depending on what I'm doing and my mood, but regular pop mostly 
Favourite film/series: Crime series as FBI, most wanted 
Favourite food: Chicken with mango sauce
Favourite athlete/team: Carl Hester and Ann Cathrin Lübbe is both an big inspiration
Follow online/connect: insta:kirsten.vik_pararytter
What made you go all in on your sport? I got Arthritis as a 3 year old, but I managed quite well in my youth and got an education. But when I got older I got more disability and then I discovered Para dressage. I love the fact that you get a chance to compete around the world, and meet a lot of amazing people. I feel that I'm part of something, and I love the team spirit and how we help and celebrate each other. 
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? Winning the Norwegian Championship with my former horse. With this horse, are all the amazing places I already have been to with my very young mare. 

Club: Christiania Roklub
Born: Oslo - 10.02.89
Residence: Oslo, Norway 
Occupation: Athlete and board member
Hobbies: Politics 
Favourite music: Fay Wildhagen 
Favourite film/series: Makta 
Favourite food: Sushi and Italian 
Favourite athlete/team: Norwegian Rowing Team 
Follow online/connect: @birgitskarstein at Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin 
What made you go all in on your sport? I was blown away by London 2012 and wanted to see how far I could make it.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? Winning Paralympic gold in Tokyo 2020 as well as becoming World Champion in 2018 just minutes apart from my team mate Kjetil Borch. That level of excitement is hard to top. 

Club: Kisen
Born: Oslo 01.04.2004
Residence: Jessheim
Occupation: Student (sports management)
Hobbies: just shooting
Favourite music: pop music and party hits
Favourite film/series: Modern Family and Prison Break
Favourite food: Taco and sushi
Follow online/connect:
Instagram: @marsoe04
Facebook: Martin-Sørlie-Rogne-Shooting
What made you go all in on your sport? My mom Heidi Sørlie-Rogne was also a Paralympics shooter, and then I started to shoot. When I see the fun about being a part of a national team and the hard part about training and going to competition I wanted to go all in in my sport and compete with the best athletes in the world.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? I think it was when I got my first junior world record in my first competition, it was the European championship in Hamar in Norway.

Club: Aasa miniatyrskytterlag
Born: Kongsvinger - 02.10.1987
Residence: Flisa
Occupation: General secretary of the youth organistation of the Norwegian association of disabled people (Norges Handikapforbund Ungdom).
Hobbies: I enjoy reading, voluntary organizational work and wheelchair handball
Favourite music: No favorite. I listen to a lot of different music
Favourite film/series: No favorite. I like movies and series in the crime genre
Favourite food: Almost anything with chicken
Follow online/connect: Instagram: @amandadybendal
What made you go all in on your sport? There was never a moment that made me want to go all in. It was more the combination of lots of little things. I was introduced to the Norwegian paralympic national team in 2006 and was elected to go to the world championship and from that moment the ball just kept rolling. I still have a lot to learn within this sport and still have goals I hope to achieve.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? My greatest moment as an athlete is the 4 th place I got in the 2014 world championship and being elected to go to the Paralympic Games in 2016 and 2024.

Club: Tønsberg Svømmeklubb
Born: Oslo – 13.12.2001 
Residence: Bergen, Norway
Occupation: Swimmer / Economy student
Hobbies: Reading
Favourite music: Rap
Favourite film/series: Foundation
Favourite food: Pancakes
Favourite athlete/team: Eddie The Eagle
Follow online/connect: @fredriksolberg1
What made you go all in on your sport? It started as a fun and social hobby, but in 2020 I got the opportunity to pursue it full time.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? Taking part in the Paralympics in Tokyo was big, but the peak of my career was taking the world championship silver in 2023. Paris will be the new peak.

Club: Stord BTK (Norway) and RSG Koblenz (Germany)
Born:  Bergen - 16.06.1980
Residence: Manger. One hour north of Bergen
Occupation: Athlete and Occupational therapist
Hobbies: Fishing, cycling, boats, music
Favourite music: Pop/rock/country. Norwegian and Swedish music. Vinskvetten
Favourite film/series: Friends, King of Queens. Lupin. Grown ups
Favourite food: Asian food
Favourite athlete/team: Aleksander Dale Oen
Follow online/connect: @turhaug
What made you go all in on your sport? As a child I tried a lot of different sports and at my school, there was a table tennis table. Me and my father played a lot on this table, almost every day. I became better and better quite fast and wanted to start practicing more seriously to see how good I could be. And here I am, ready for my 7th Paralympics.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? That will for sure be winning the Gold medal at the London 2012 Paralympics. Before that I had been winning everything. I was European and World Champion, but never managed to win the Paralympic gold. So, to finally win the big Paralympic Gold medal was absolutely amazing.

Club: Randesund IL-BTG
Born: 15.10.1990, Sarajevo, Bosnia
Residence: Bergen, Norway
Occupation: Advisor parasport
Hobbies: Hiking, watching movies, diy-projects, fishing
Favourite music: The Weeknd
Favourite food: Lamb with potatoes au gratin
Favourite athlete/team: The Norwegian handball team, women
Follow online/connect: Instagram @aida_dahlen
What made you go all in on your sport? When I started competing in parasports, I quickly got medals, which made it more fun. I met challenges I wanted to overcome, and I am proud of the career I have had till now.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? To achieve most of the medals I wanted, but also to be able to be happy for my opponents when they do well. Also getting a hug from my opponent after I won against her in the final at the European Championships in 2023.

Club: Fokus Bordtennisklubb
Born: Oslo - 28.04.1999
Residence: Oslo
Occupation: Athlete, student and insurance advisor
Hobbies: Jigsaw puzzle, hiking, listen to music
Favourite music: Pop music
Favourite film/series: Friends
Favourite food: Pizza
Favourite athlete/team: The women’s national team in handball
Follow online/connect: Instagram: @norakorneliussen
What made you go all in on your sport? I tried different sports and found out I liked table tennis best. When I later got the chance to compete with the national team, table tennis became my top priority.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? Winning bronze in singles at European Championships in 2023.

Club: Notodden Bordtennisklubb
Born: Notodden- 16.04.2005
Residence: Notodden
Occupation: high school student
Hobbies: hiking, reading, being with friends 
Favourite music: pop/indie pop
Favourite film/series: dead poets society/ little women
Favourite food: sushi
Favourite athlete/team: Markus Rooth
Follow online/connect: Instagram: @Jennyhelenes
What made you go all in on your sport? My love for the sport always grew on me, but watching people conure the same obstacles I had, and still being the best in their sport inspired me to really give it my all.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? The moment I sat at breakfast at training camp with Nora, and realized we could qualify for the 2024 Paralympics together.

Club: Notodden BTK
Born: Notodden - 10.07.1995
Residence: Notodden
Hobbies: My Daughter and friends
Favourite music: Pop
Favourite film/series: Norwegian Realities
Favourite food: Taco
Favourite athlete/team: Table Tennis
What made you go all in on your sport? I liked table tennis since the first time I tried it. I am found of travelling around to meet the players from other countries.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete? When I won the European championships together with Aida Dahlen, in double.