What have been the best and worst moments of your first season as a Pro Tour skier?

“Considering that this was my first season as a long-distance skier, it has been very educational. Every course that we have skied this year has been new to me, and since long-distance races aren’t placed on a loop course, there have always been parts of every race that I have never skied until race day. That has been challenging and fun since it is always exciting to ski in new places. I went into this season with no expectations, and I go out with a feeling that this is the form of the race I enjoy most. The high of this season has been racing in general. There is a special vibe that I have never experienced before during races in Ski Classics. The athletes from different teams are competitors on paper and during races. Still, outside the competition, we enjoy doing the sport we love with like-minded people, and the competitiveness is put aside.”

“The low of this season is also easy to point out. It was getting covid, just in time to miss one of the highlights of this season, Marcialonga. Fortunately, my teammate Maja and I had covid during the same time. I’m very thankful for that, and she brightened my days during the isolation. Without her, this time would have been much, much harder.” 

What are the biggest challenges of being a long-distance skier? 

“Again, the racecourses have been a major challenge. Not only because I don’t know what to expect after the next corner, but mainly because of the importance of eating and drinking during long-distance racing. The better you know the course, the better you know when you have time to take a gel or take time to drink. Also, knowing the course is essential to trust my double poling skills. I made a mistake twice this year in choosing to go with kick wax when I knew it would have been better to double pole. Before this year, it wouldn’t have been an option to double pole these tough courses. It takes some experience to believe in my own double poling capabilities.” 

Do you prefer traditional or long-distance skiing?  

“It’s a tough question, but today I would say long-distance skiing due to the atmosphere around the competitions. Firstly, almost all the competitions are mass starts, and that fits me well since I know exactly my current position in the race, and there is almost always someone to ski with. You can then help each other to ski as fast as possible. I also enjoy the fact that nothing is determined until the finish line. In long-distance skiing, things can change drastically during the entire race since more parameters play when compared to traditional racing. Due to us racing over longer distances, the skis can perform differently during different parts of the race, and you can run out and gain energy; you can find a fast group to ski with. In traditional racing, you have much slimmer margins to make errors, which I find stressful.” 

How has been the relationship with the Italian Team Internorm-Trentino-Zorzi Max By SZ, and how did they help you during this phase of your career? 

“The most obvious issue with people from different countries is the language barrier. This has been an issue within this team too, so the relationship with the team members would have been different if we all spoke the same language. But besides that, I have found good friends in the team who are more experienced in long-distance skiing, and they have helped a lot and answered all the questions I faced through my first year. And the big benefit of being in an Italian team is the food. The team has some great cooks who make sure we have delicious food during races. This has inspired me in my everyday cooking at home in Sweden too.” 

Will you keep racing at Ski Classics events next season? 

“Yes, I will compete in Ski Classics next season too. I always strive to improve, so my goal for next year is to be more consistent in the top 20. Outside the hectic life of a pro skier, I also study full time at University, so skiing and studying are taking a lot of time in my life. Therefore I’m very thankful for the understanding and support I get from my boyfriend. He has helped me a lot during this past year. He is making this hectic life possible.”