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.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?: When I was confirmed to compete in the Tokyo Paralympics!

Club: IL Tyrving
Born: 19.10.1992, Salamina, Colombia
Residence: Lommedalen, Bærum, Norway
Height: 162 cm
Occupation: Athlete
Interests: Athletics, music, training my dog
Favourite music: Celine Dion
Favourite film/series: Nashville, James Bond and Jackie Chan
Favourite food: Tacos, shrimps
Greatest sport moment: Winning the European championships in 2018
Follow online/ connect: Facebook and Instagram: Ida Yessica Nesse
What made you go all in on your sport?: I always threw things further than everybody else in school – also the boys. The choice was simple – javelin throwing here we go! As javelin was not on the Paralympic agenda, I converted to discus throwing before the Rio PL, and have since been competing in two world and two European championships plus PL in Rio and now Tokyo.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?: Winning the European championships in discus in Berlin in 2018 was definitely the greatest moment with three European javelin records as a close second!

Club: IK Hind
Born: 08.09.2003
Birthplace: Harstad
Residence: Oslo
Height: 164cm
Occupation: Athlete and student at Wang Toppidrett
Interests: Watching movies and being with friends
Favourite music: Literally everything
Favourite film/series: Captain America: The First Avenger and Iron Man (or basically any marvel movie)
Favourite food: Pizza or lasagne
Greatest sport moment: The World Junior Championships
Follow online/ connect: Instagram: idaoverlandd
What made you go all in on your sport?: I have always loved to train and compete. I just want to be the best I can be and see how far I can make it.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?: My greatest moment on track is when I sat my personal record during the European Championship final and I qualified for the Tokyo games.

Club: Kristiansand Badmintonklubb
Born: 19.01.1998
Residence: Kristiansand
Height: 163 cm
Occupation: Athlete
Interests: Outdoor activities
Favourite music: Local Norwegian music (DDE)
Favourite film/series: Drama - love
Favourite food: Fish
Greatest sport moment: Qualifying Para 2020 ( winning Spanish Open 2021 Cartagena)
Follow online/ connect: None
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?: When I got elected for the best female para badminton player of the year in 2015 after winning the World Championships in single.

Club: Grenland SK
Born: 27.04.1989
Birthplace: Porsgrunn
Residence: Calgary, Canada + Stathelle, Norge
Height: 158 cm
Occupation: Adapted Physical Activity Specialist, (Executive Director of Ultimate Para Sports Assoc.)
Interests: Downhill skiing
Favourite music: Anything danceable
Favourite film/series: I might like all of Quentin Tarantino’s movies…
Favourite food: My mum’s food! Sushi, and ice cream
Greatest sport moment: Cycling down a volcano in Bali with my husband Stevie, two handcycles, but only one brake… He is still alive
Follow online/ connect: @wheelyfastsuzie
What made you go all in on your sport?: My husband might be my greatest inspiration, he is a former Paralympian in both wheelchair racing and downhill skiing. I first started cycling when I met him and moved to Canada. I understood quickly that I had potential and wanted to explore how far I could go. I’m still exploring.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?: One of the turns at the World Championships course this year terrified me at the course recon, steep and sharp. But I realized that if I could overcome that fear I could own this turn. At the TT, about 1 km before the turn a faster competitor passes me, I tried chasing her, but she kept her distance. When we reached the turn I held my breath, went all in, sailed passed her and kept her behind me until the finish line. Overcoming that fear was a pretty nice feeling… With good help from teammate Christian, my coach May Britt and again, Stevie.

Club: Hasle Hestesportsklubb
Born: 14.03.1961
Birthplace: Norway
Residence: Haderslev, Denmark
Height: 170 cm
Occupation: Para Dressage riding
Interests: Enjoying a good meal with good friends
Favourite music: Music from the 80’s
Favourite film/series: Thorn Birds
Favourite food: Baked pancakes
Greatest sport moment: European Championship 2019, individual gold medal
Follow online/ connect: @jldparadressagenorway
What made you go all in on your sport?: > I started therapeutic riding as a child, and later developed an interest in competitions and the para dressage sport. I have been competing on an international level since 1992, and I find great joy in riding, and being part of an international community of great sportsmen.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?: Winning the individual Gold medal in the Rotterdam European Championship in 2019 was a great feeling, and my greatest moment as an athlete. But my first Paralympic participation in Atlanta 1996 was also an amazing experience. Tokyo will be my 7th Paralympic Game, and I am proud and happy to be the only Paralympic rider, that has participated in all Paralympic Games since para-dressage became a Paralympic sport.

Club: Atlungstad Rideklubb
Born: 23.01.1971
Birthplace: Ottestad, Norway
Residence: Holstebro, Denmark
Height: 175 cm
Occupation: Para Dressage / Sports Psychology / Dressage coach (Self Employed)
Favourite music: I like all type of music
Favourite film/series: Nordic crime
Favourite food: Chicken, in all ways
Greatest sport moment: Athens Paralympic Games 2004 and Rio Paralympic Games 2016
Follow online/ connect: facebook.com/ann.c.lubbe and @anncathrinlubbe
What made you go all in on your sport?: I love horses, and it gives me the possibility to compete at a high level in para sports.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?: When I competed with my student’s horse Donnatello and won the individual Gold medal in Rio Paralympics 2016. That was the most honorable moment of my life. The owner of Donnatello was my riding student, but she died in a car accident in 2014, only 18 years old. I felt that I fulfilled her dream, winning that gold medal in Rio.

Club: Christiania Roklub
Born: 10.02.1989
Birthplace: Oslo
Residence: Oslo
Height: 180 cm
Occupation: Athlete
Interests: Politics and societal engagement
Favourite music: Fay Wildhagen
Favourite film/series: Rising Phoenix
Favourite food: Sushi
Greatest sport moment: The Norwegian Olympic medals in rowing at Rio 2016
Follow online/ connect: Instagram: @BirgitSkarstein, Twitter: @BirgitSkarstein
What made you go all in on your sport?: I fell in love with the sport as well as the environment. It is challenging and rewarding, and in addition it provides the opportunity to spend lots of time out in the nature.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?: The World Champhionships in Sarasota 2017 was a special moment, because we managed to transfer to a distance twice of the former Paralympic distance, as well as being rewarded with a gold medal

Club: Kisen MSL
Born: 10.08.1959 – Jessheim, Norway
Residence: Jessheim
Height: 185 cm
Occupation: Police Superintendent – retired
Interests: Shooting, Motorbike, Fishing
Favourite music: Old rock / Rolling Stones / Mick Jagger / Start Me Up
Favourite film/series: Nature/Motorsport
Favourite food: Everything / Italy / All
Greatest sport moment: Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Olympic games in Salt Lake City
Follow online/ connect: None
What made you go all in on your sport?: Started shooting big bore in 1974 with some of my friends for fun. Since then shooting has been my main interest
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?: Gold medal team big bore in World Championship Moskva in 1990. Two prices from the Norwegian King in 1994 and 1995 with the best results from a Norwegian shooter that year. About 500 medals from national and international competitions during my career.

Club: Kisen Msl
Born: 12.02.1973, Lørenskog in Norway
Residence: Strømmen
Height: 173 cm
Occupation: Athlete, and also work as a lawyer in an organisation working for human rights for disabled persons
Favourite music: I listen to different kind of music, no favourite band
Favourite film/series: I like to watch crime
Favourite food: I like Italian and Indian food
Greatest sport moment: The first time I became a Norwegian Champion
What made you go all in on your sport?: I started to shoot in November 2012. 2014 I was selected to represent Norway in the World Championship in Suhl. After that I decided to go all in to see how far I could reach.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?: It was a great moment for me the first time I became a Norwegian Champion, also when I won a silver medal in a world cup in UAE.

Club: Stavanger Svømmeklubb
Born: 08.10.1989 - Stavanger
Residence: Bergen, Norway
Height: 172 cm
Occupation: Athlete
Interests: Travelling, food & cooking
Favourite food: Italian
Greatest sport moment: Winning gold in my first Paralympic games in London 2012.
Follow online/ connect: @sarahlouiserung
What made you go all in on your sport?: I have been a swimmer from age of 7, and decided continue with my sport after my accident in 2008.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?: Becoming a Paralympic gold medalist in 2012 for the first time, breaking a world record and sharing the European title in 2016 with Theresa Perales from Spain are all special moments in my swimming career.

Club: Tønsberg Svømmeklubb
Born: 13.12.2001 Oslo
Birthplace:
Residence: Tønsberg
Height: 187 cm
Occupation: Athlete - swimming
Hobbies: Reading
Favourite music: Everything
Favourite film/series: Stranger Things and all Marvel movies
Favourite food: Burger
Greatest sport moment: Fourth place world championship 2019
Follow online/ connect: Instagram: @solberg01
What made you go all in on your sport?:
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?: I love the sport and everything that comes with it so I just went for it 100 percent.

Club: Randesund IL-BTG
Born: Rogatica, BIH
Residence: Oslo, Norway
Height: 168 cm
Occupation: Athlete / student
Interests:Travelling, watching movies, hiking, listen to music, jigsaw puzzle
Favourite music: Unstoppable – Sia
Favourite film:Moulin Rouge, Friends
Favourite food: Lamb with potatoes
Greatest sport moment:When I won the Europeans for the first time in 2015
Follow online/ connect:@aida_dahlen
What made you go all in on your sport?:I felt I could thrive in table tennis. It was a sport I wanted more of, and I wanted to see how far I could go. I also made a lot of friends there, which made it more fun to be a part of.
What is your greatest moment as an athlete?:Being good enough to participate in the Paralympic Games several times

Club: Fokus Bordtennisklubb
Born:28.04.1999
Birthplace: Oslo
Residence: Oslo
Height:157 cm
Occupation: Athlete and student
Interests: Jigsaw puzzle and hanging out with friends
Favourite music: Pop songs
Favourite film: Friends
Favourite food: Pizza
Greatest sport moment: Winning bronze in teams at European Championships with Aida Dahlen.
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 the qualification tournament for Tokyo 2021.

Club: Stord Tabletennis club (Norway) and RSG Koblenz (Germany)
Born: 16.06.1980
Birthplace: Bergen
Residence: Manger
Height: 175 cm
Occupation: Athlete and Occupational Therapist
Interests: Music, fishing, boats, handcycling
Favourite music: Pop/rock/country. Ed Sheeran, The Eagles, Bee Gees
Favourite film: Friends and The King of Queens
Favourite food: Asian food. Japanese Sushi
Greatest sport moment: Aleksander Dale Oen becoming World Champion in swimming in 2011.
Follow online/ connect: Facebook: Tommy Urhaug. Instagram: @turhaug Twitter: @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 6th 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.