March 1, 2024
Athletes are immortal beings, held up on pedestals to symbolize what they can do on the playing field.
This same hero worship is rarely seen among essential workers who save lives and educate the next generation. There is an element of celebrity status in the sports world that makes these athletes feel untouchable. But when you simplify the lives of these athletes, they are often just as ordinary as the rest of us. They listen to the same music, watch the same TV shows, and are moved by the people who mean a lot to them.
And the harsh reality of sports is that many people still have to juggle work, especially in a sport like curling. It's even more prevalent in wheelchair curling. Paralympic and world champions hear the national anthem played on a major stage and are immediately sent back to the office.
Most of us don't have particularly interesting careers, but two Norwegian rinks competing at the SD Biosensor World Wheelchair Curling Championship 2024 in Gangneung, South Korea, are open to discussion about their careers. are exchanging.
Gail Arne Skogstad [left]two-time world champion and rising star Mia Larsen Sveberg [right] Their lives have been affected by their disabilities.
Mr. Skogstad's background is in spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation, and his role focuses on physical health. Sveberg, on the other hand, focuses on a more holistic direction: music, education and sign language.
“My life is all over the place, doing different things,” Sveberg admits. She has a degree in music teaching, is a leader in the Norwegian Youth Association for Disabled People, and is studying Norwegian Sign Language so that she can formally educate others.
As a music teacher, she plays in bands such as: People with disabilities in her hometown of Trondheim. She plays the piano, sings at concerts and festivals, and works for an agency specializing in recruitment for people with disabilities.
For the 25-year-old, slowing down simply isn't an option. Although she is not as political as she once was, she is a disability rights advocate. She became an activist when she was 11 years old, when her father, who is hard of hearing, led a campaign to increase the number of interpreters in Norway and to demonstrate the use of text on public transport for deaf people. He flew her to the capital, Oslo, to do the same thing. .
Ms. Sveberg's career choice is incredibly noteworthy. Not only does she require her wheelchair, she also has hearing loss and must use hearing aids. Due to her father's and her own illness, her main means of communication is Norwegian Sign Language, followed by Norwegian and then English.
However, she has to study for a year to be able to follow the same career path as her mother and teach the language to others. However, one constant in her life is music.
“Throughout my life, music has always been with me no matter what happens,” she added.
“So, I started playing the piano when I was six years old, and at the same time I was always involved in sports, but at the time I was walking and had no disabilities.
“That was when I was 15 or 16 years old.
“So whenever my body shuts down to me, I always go listen to music. There I let out all my frustrations, joys, sadness, everything in my body. I was able to express all the emotions I was feeling through music.”
Sveberg has a very contagious personality and clearly enjoys expressing herself freely. She's only been doing curls for a few years, but as part of the team that finished seventh at the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics, she felt like she was thrown into last place. Her presence on that stage helps her adapt well to the ice when the pressure is on.
“I was playing music in front of a lot of people,” she said.
“When I competed in the Paralympics, I was still calm. I knew how to concentrate.
“I've been on stage since I was little, so I learned how to keep my nerves in check. And I understand the importance of being 100% on stage, and I continue to carry that with me when I curl. ” ”
help others
By contrast, while it may take some convincing to get Skogstad to sing in front of a crowd, his daily life is filled with supporting people on their road to recovery.
His previous career was also in the music industry, where he worked as a light technician until a lack of accessibility for wheelchair users forced him to change jobs. After failing to find a job after the 2002 Salt Lake City Paralympic Winter Games, where he won a silver medal in para ice hockey, he serendipitously landed the role, working at the Center for Disability Learning and Coping.
“Actually, it was a bit of a coincidence,” Skogstad said.
“I hadn’t worked for a year and a half; [local spinal cord organisation] The project leader asked me to come to the center as an employee. ”
Also in Trondheim, Skogstad currently works in a hospital's rehabilitation clinic, where she serves as a peer mentor to help new wheelchair users transition into a new chapter in life, where she shares her life experiences. and assisting people with the technical aspects of wheelchair use. .
“What I love about this job is that I am able to successfully help people who feel like their lives are over at some point after an injury change, and then go on to change their mindset and gain skills. “Watch their faces and emotions as they get through this and accept new situations and find new ways to deal with them.'' added.
Skogstad's role makes him a connector for disability sports. He is perhaps one of the most influential wheelchair curlers in the world, as his work serves as the perfect link between participation in curling and supporting the recovery process of newly disabled people. He introduced others to wheelchair curling, including Mia.
He added: “I was alone as the only athlete at the club for about nine years.
“We managed to have an open night in the spring, so the three of us came. Then we had another open night in the fall, and that was during practice when Mia showed up. did.
“I went from being the only athlete at the club to five athletes in one year.”
Skogstad is now rebelling against his musical roots, but found a new path through his disability. Mia picks up the microphone and plays a rhythm on the piano. Gail's actions on and off the ice are providing a different kind of inspiration to those whose lives have suddenly changed.
“There’s always a positive part of being an athlete and a mentor to your peers: you’re in a position to show that great things are possible despite your injury.”
Written by feature writer Michael Huston
