On Sunday, Stina Nilsson made her debut as a long-distance skier. Four months after the Swedish ski star gave up her biathlon career in favor of long-distance skiing, she smashed the entire established elite on her first attempt. She won the 90-kilometer-long Klarälvsloppet, the most important and prestigious preparatory race of the season, in spectacular fashion.

The newcomer left winter’s dominant long-distance queen Emilie Fleten and defending champion Jenny Larsson behind on the home stretch. The long-distance world was in awe.

Read more: Stina Nilsson shines at Klarälvsloppet 2024 

Nilsson knew very well that all eyes were on her, and that she couldn’t expect to fly under the radar like other debutants in Klarälvsloppet. Many had high expectations of her, and she certainly delivered.

Before her competitive debut in Klarälvsloppet, the reflective 31-year-old opened up in an honest interview with Langrenn.com: about her newfound love for cross-country skiing and her expectations for long-distance skiing, her dreams and ambitions, but also about the media pressure, public expectations, and her thoughts on her responsibility as an influencer and role model, and how she copes with it.

Stina Nilsson has lived her entire adult life in the media spotlight and under constant media pressure. Ever since she debuted in the Swedish cross-country national team in 2012, at just 19 years old, she has been the darling of the Swedes. A little over four years ago, she left a bright cross-country career to pursue biathlon. From day one, “everyone” had an opinion about her performances and what they should be.

In April, the Swedish ski star announced that she was changing sports again. Now, she left biathlon in favor of long-distance skiing and Ski Classics. The Swedish ski star was headhunted to the Aukland brothers’ long-distance team, Team Ragde Charge.

Almost immediately after Nilsson dropped the “bomb,” rumors started swirling: Is she switching to long-distance skiing to make a comeback in traditional cross-country skiing with the World Championships in Trondheim coming up? Sweden’s cross-country team manager, Anders Byström, confirmed to several media outlets that she could be both interesting and relevant for the World Championship team.

Nilsson herself did not comment on the media’s speculations. But she was crystal clear with Langrenn.com:

“I will not be competing in any more traditional all-around cross-country races. That chapter is closed.”

Read more: Stina Nilsson: “My focus and motivation are long-distance races and Ski Classics”

For her, the focus is now fully on long-distance skiing, and Nilsson is positively glowing when she talks about her new situation.

She says she is so motivated to train and is just itching to get started properly, that she really has to be careful and remind herself to take her time with the transition.

“I’m already looking forward to going to the first snow camp in Livigno at the start of December.”

She also asked for patience:

Nilsson is clear that she will not set specific performance goals for her debut season, either on roller skis or snow.

What expectations do you have for yourself for the first long-distance winter?

“My expectations for myself are that I will do a good job and come well-prepared. That I will be able to compete. But you all need to be a little patient with me, and hold back a bit on your expectations, because I honestly don’t know myself what to expect”, Nilsson told Langrenn.com, elaborating:

“I still haven’t had a single training session with other girls, and I don’t know how I compare to the others and the level I’ll meet this winter.”

Your tactical acumen was one of your greatest strengths as a sprint specialist in traditional all-around cross-country skiing. Is that something you expect to utilize in long-distance skiing?

“In the long run, I hope to become a tactically skilled racer in long-distance skiing as well. But it took some time to develop my sprint tactics. I had to learn to understand myself, my strengths and weaknesses. And I learned a bit about what my competitors tended to do. Now, long-distance skiing will be a “new language” for me, and I have to learn what’s smart tactically in Ski Classics. And by that, I mean what’s tactically smart for me. Because it doesn’t matter if it’s an optimal tactic if it doesn’t suit me and my strengths.”

Have you pinpointed any highlights you’re especially looking forward to in this first winter?

“I think it’s cool to do mass starts, and I’m looking forward to the whole season. But I’m also influenced by the environment I’m in. There’s a lot of talk about Marcialonga and Vasaloppet. So, I’m naturally really looking forward to those, just because many speak so highly of those races, that they are major events and truly an experience”, says Nilsson.

Many people have opinions about what you do, what you should do, and what you shouldn’t do. The fact that you dare to leave an extremely successful career and a bright future to try new things makes you a role model for others who want to take new steps in life. How do you view your role as an influencer?

“For me, these choices were obvious. I would have regretted it if I hadn’t tried out what I wanted to. What drives me in sports is to create memories for myself that I can be proud of when I’ve finished a long sports career. If that’s something that can motivate and inspire others to try new things, I’m very happy to be able to contribute to that. So, if you have the motivation and desire to try something new, I absolutely think you should take the chance.”

And with Stina Nilsson, life and philosophy undeniably go hand in hand in that regard. In mid-December, the 31-year-old from Malung, Dalarna, will debut on snow in Ski Classics, with the double weekend in Bad Gastein, Austria.

Pro Team Presentation kicks off Ski Classics Season XVI on December 13