She is one of four women on Australia’s national cross-country ski team and already qualified for the World Championships in Trondheim, a luxury and security that few other national team skiers have. But even though Ellen Søhol Lie is a permanent member of the national team and set for the World Championships, she still has to organise her training and preparation herself, and pay for most things out of her own pocket, such as travel and equipment.

Read more: Kangaroo Hoppet – The first Ski Classics Challengers event in Australia

“I have a budget of around $11,000 USD per season to be a skier. But it often ends up being more, says Lie, who lives in Lillehammer.”

She’s determined to get to the World Championships, her second one. This time, she’s brought in Øystein “Pølsa” Pettersen as a coach to ensure she’s as well-prepared as possible for Trondheim.

A kind of comeback

At the senior level, Lie is still relatively unknown. So far, her best result is 12th place in the sprint at the Norwegian Cup in Lygna this winter. But Lie skied as a child and competed until she was 15.

Why did you stop cross-country skiing?

“It was a combination of factors. I got mononucleosis, lost interest in skiing, and found other things more exciting.”

Then, almost suddenly, the spark returned. It happened during the PyeongChang Olympics in 2018.

“I was watching cross-country skiing and got frustrated that no one seemed interested in following behind Therese Johaug. I wondered why they were just letting her go. It couldn’t be impossible,” Lie says, who immediately decided to aim for the 2022 Olympics.

She was 23 years old at the time.

“I wanted a challenge, something to push myself towards, and something I could look back on when I’m older and be proud that I achieved it”, Lie explains.

And so it was.

Lie didn’t make it to the 2022 Olympics, but she participated in the 2023 World Championships. She finished 17th in the team sprint, just two spots away from advancing past the qualifying round. That left her wanting more.

“The World Championships in Planica were huge. It was fun to experience it, and I competed in every event on the program. But I was a bit overwhelmed”, she says.

Now, Lie is ready for her second World Championships, and this time, she’s approaching it more systematically.

The article continues below

World Championships 2.0: Pølsa and a new perspective

On the road to the World Championships in Trondheim, Ellen Søhol Lie has brought in Øystein Pettersen as her coach.

Read more: “Pølsa” trains for an hour a day, went as fast as Northug at Birkebeinerrennet

“I couldn’t have asked for a better coach. He’s a secure coach, someone who sees the whole person and focuses on mastery, not just results and numbers. I now have a different perspective on things”, she says, elaborating:

“This time, I’m going to be kind to myself instead of being hard on myself, and I’ll make myself perform well. Øystein is a huge part of why I’ve come to that realisation.”

Clear plan

Together, they’ve decided to focus specifically on the World Championships sprint in Granåsen, and any other events during the championship will be a bonus.

“I’m aiming for the sprint in the World Championships, and in general this year. I have the best chances of doing well there, and it’s also what I enjoy the most”, says Lie, continuing:

“The goal is to qualify from the prologue to the heats. It will be really tough. But that’s what I’m aiming for. Then we’ll see how far I can go from there.”

Based on the main goal, Lie and Pettersen have now mapped out which areas they need to focus on leading up to the championship. First and foremost, it’s about getting the basics in place: capacity and technique.

“Even though I’m 30 years old, I’m still a “young” athlete in terms of where I stand in my development as a cross-country skier. It’s a good starting point to make big strides”, says Lie.

Specifically, what are you doing differently in your training this time?

“This is the first time I don’t have a written-out plan. We’re very aligned on what needs to be done, but when and how I do the sessions depends on how I feel. Before, it was often like if the plan said five hours, I trained for five hours. If not, I’d feel guilty,” she says, continuing:

“There’s also more running than I’ve done before, and my intervals are speed-focused and sprint-specific.”

How does a typical training week look, and what kind of sessions do you do?

“It’s quite traditional, with two hard sessions a week, and otherwise easy long sessions, speed work, and a strength session focused on legs and functional strength.”

Now that Therese Johaug has decided to make a comeback for the World Championships in Trondheim, will you be the one to take responsibility and follow behind her?

“I don’t think she’s planning to race the sprint in the World Championships, so I probably won’t have the chance to follow behind her in Trondheim. Besides, Therese Johaug and I have completely different qualities. When I raced against her in the 30 km at Lygna, she passed me twice during the race.”

Are you interested in traditional cross-country skiing? Click HERE and read more about it.

See the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Program here