“I will most likely have decreased combustion for the rest of my life. So pushing boundaries as I have done has a price.” A candid Lundby tells it in the book “A meeting with Maren”. news has been given exclusive access to the book, where she opens up about what happened during the WC in Oberstdorf. For the very first time, she tells about the drastic method she resorted to in order to achieve her dream of WC gold. The consequences of the diet were dramatic for one of Norway’s largest sports car brands. – I felt quite confident that this would go well, but I never thought it would have the consequences it did, says Lundby to news. Because it is uncertain whether Lundby will ever return to the ski jumping hill. The gold jump in Oberstdorf is still her last jump. UNCERTAIN: It is not certain that we will see Lundby jump again. Photo: CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP Intense dieting We have to go back to the February days in 2021. For the first time, the women will be allowed to jump on a big hill during a WC. A fight Maren Lundby stood in the breach for. But the jumping favorite who had won the World Cup three years in a row – had not won a single race this year. It hadn’t happened in seven seasons. In the new book, Lundby opens up about her struggle with her weight throughout the 2020/21 season, not just during the WC. She also had “jumper’s knee” which plagued her throughout the summer, and which made it difficult to reach the same level as in previous seasons. In consultation with the support apparatus, Lundby decided to take action when they were in the German WC city. SLEIT: Maren Lundby is here in place in the German World Cup town of Oberstdorf. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB In the book, she describes how they embarked on an intense diet, which largely consisted of sweating off the weight. – Did anyone try to say “don’t do this, Maren”? – No, I had the playroom I wanted myself. I have expressed a great desire to achieve this and be part of fighting for a medal, and then they are there to help me to achieve it as best as they can. There was no one to warn me, says Lundby. – It was up to me what I wanted myself, so that’s very fine. Then, in a way, I only have myself to thank. Do you need someone to talk to? There are several helplines, chat services and support groups where you can share your thoughts and feelings completely anonymously, and get support, advice and guidance. Mental Health Helpline: Call 116 123 or write to sidetmedord.no. Press 2 for parental care and press 3 for the student telephone on the same number. Mental Health Youth: Chatteteste at www.mhu.no on Monday to Thursday 18–21. Tenesta is aimed at young adults (18-35 years). Healthy Idrett: Chatteteneste at sunnidrett.no or contact by e-mail: [email protected] Nettros – Counseling for eating disorders: Chatteteneste at nettros.no or call 948 17 818. – I couldn’t take it anymore Lundby took silver in the first WC- the competition which was a jump on a small hill. But the medal had a flip side. Lundby had to undergo doping control and had to drink several liters of water to manage and urinate. The weight increased again. Thus, the intense dieting continued until the team competition. After that, she was not taken out for doping control, and did not have to drink herself up and start the slimming process once again. Two days later, a mixed team competition was expected, but then it happened again. A new silver medal led to a new doping control, and thus the process continued – the high point of high hill jumping was next. – I had an episode before the big hill where I was very tired from the driving from the previous week. At one point I wasn’t sure if I could bear to drive another round with dehydration and the pack there, says Lundby. CONVERSATION: Lundby and national team coach Christian Meyer had a close dialogue during the WC. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB Lundby had a long talk with national team coach Christian Meyer after that situation. He gave a clear message that she would have to decide for herself. The 27-year-old emphasizes that this was her choice and that she was allowed to do this because she is a mature and established athlete. After the conversation with Meyer, she realized that it would cost more to give up: – When I woke up the next day, I was ready to fight again. Lundby won the competition and took gold in the big hill. A competition he and the national show jumping team had been fighting to get on the WC program for a long time. HISTORICAL: Maren Lundby is celebrated by her team-mate after she has secured the historic WC gold in the big hill during the WC in Oberstdorf in Germany. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB “Heilt krise” The historic gold celebration was nevertheless to have a bitter aftertaste for Lundby. Her body had a huge reaction after what she had been through during the championship. The weight increased much more than it had done previously. Because of this, there was no holiday at Lundby after the WC gold in Oberstdorf, as is usual. But despite intense training – the weight continued to increase. Before the summer was over, she had gained considerable weight. – It was quite a strong reaction to what I had exposed myself to, says Lundby. She described that her body was out of balance when it came to nutrition. It was “a complete crisis” to feel that way, says Lundby. She felt that she lost all her athletic qualities. The feeling of gaining weight affected her in many ways. “And no matter what I did, it was wrong. The body didn’t work in training, the legs were heavy.” Met with little understanding In the book, Lundby also describes that the most difficult thing was thinking about the things she shouldn’t actually spend energy on. About what everyone else thought of her. She experienced little understanding, and was told things like “it’s just a matter of exercising a little more and eating a little less”. DANCE: Maren Lundby took part last autumn in Skal vi danse on TV 2. The aim was that alternative training should give a new lease of life. Photo: Thomas Andersen / TV 2 / TV 2 The period from April to September was the worst. It stormed inside his head and Lundby was frustrated. No matter what she did, it was wrong. – It was nothing simple, no. No, huff, it was stupid, she says. She admits in the book that she thinks she has never been as low as in that particular period. She describes it as “dark”. – An extreme method The fear has also been great that what she has been doing could affect children and young people. “That’s not how young athletes should continue, it’s not an invitation to them,” she says in the book. Professor at Noreg Idrettshøgskule, Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen praises Lundby for coming forward and telling about the difficult period she has been through. But: – The challenge is that some younger athletes can read it as a “recipe” on how to lose weight quickly, says Sundgot-Borgen. ÅTVARAR: Professor Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen is afraid that young people may read the new book about Lundby as a “recipe” on how to quickly lose weight. Photo: Harald Thingnes / news Sweating to lose weight is a well-known method in parts of top sport, but a method he is strongly against. – It is an extreme method that is used by athletes in some special sports, but it is a method that we absolutely do not recommend to change the body composition. It is not performance-enhancing or health-promoting. Despite the fact that Lundby has had great difficulties in the aftermath of the WC, the national team coach is unsure whether they could have done it otherwise. – That is the big question. We don’t feel it. Then we would do it immediately. But we must remember that this is not a single episode in the WC. This is something that lasts over time. But it is important going forward that we, together with our professionals, manage to learn something from it, so that we avoid ending up in similar situations in the future, says Meyer. – Have probably stepped over the line In the book, which has been written by the daughter of national team manager Clas Brede Bråthen, Silje Bråthen, Lundby says that it was extra stressful not being able to share this with the world. Lars Haugvad, who is a manual therapist at Olympiatoppen, was close to Lundby during this period. “It was very painful to watch, how afraid she was to talk about her own case, how afraid she was of how it could affect others, and what signal was going to be sent,” he says in the book. In the end, she still chose to come forward with her weight problem in an interview with news. In the book, she describes it as a kind of ease. Suddenly she went from being very sad, to not being so anymore. DROPPED THE OLYMPICS: Maren Lundby said in an interview with news that she had to drop out of the Olympics because of a problem with her weight. Photo: news Over the winter of last year, Lundby’s situation improved, but there are still periods when her weight stagnates, despite the fact that she trains between three and six hours every day. For Norway’s showjumping queen, this is the most frustrating thing she has ever been involved in. – At some point I have probably stepped over the line and can only say that I think I have learned from it. It is difficult to know where the line is when you have not tested it, but I feel that I have learned from it and that I am on the right path now, says Lundby. Although things are still uncertain, the aim is still to get the skis back on their feet during the autumn. And the dream stretched even a little further. – Do you dare to think that you are standing on the big hill in Planica and will defend a WC gold? – Yes absolutely. I think that is quite realistic.
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Opens up about extreme dehydration to lose weight – warns young athletes
