– If someone had told me five years ago that I would play in the EC, I really wouldn’t have believed it. I didn’t really intend to play handball, she says. She was reasonably tired of handball and did not want to commit to the decision to live as a handball pro. She was afraid of missing out on other things that life has to offer. – One is between the ages of 19 and 20, and must find himself in adult life. I want to experience more in life than becoming a handball player for the rest of my life, says Andersen. Moved to Kristiansand In 2016/17, she played what she thought was her last season in the Eliteserien for the Skiens team Gjerpen, and put the top sport on the shelf. Then she packed her suitcase and moved to a completely new city – without handball having any influence on that choice. – I have a twin sister who wanted to move to Kristiansand. I went along, and I made no judgments about which handball team played there or similar, she says. OTHER PLANS: She finished her handball and turned her focus to her studies in Kristiansand. Photo: Tor Erik Schrøder / NTB Tilfeldigheiter After coming to Southern Norway, with his studies as the main focus, the winger was still not quite done with handball. Because in the new city she got an offer to play for Våg, who at the time played at the third level in Norwegian handball. – It was the coach of Vipers who called, where he told about a cooperative team called Våg, she says. – I started playing for Våg, but it was very secondary in the priorities, she says. Andersen thought that handball was a good opportunity to get a social network in the city. – I thought: yes yes, then I stopped looking for a student team or similar. Now I have an opportunity to play in a club. PLAY FOR FUN: Andersen thought that handball was a good opportunity to build networks. Photo: Beate Oma Dahle Appearing in Vipers During the autumn of 2017, Vipers suffered a number of injuries. Andersen was therefore involved and helped out for a month – both in the Champions League and league games for the club. – I was a reserve reserve for Vilde Jonassen and Karoline Olsen. So you can say that I was involved, while at the same time I wasn’t. I was drawn along when Karoline was out with an injury, she explains. After the turn of the year, she was back in Våg, but then a new chance suddenly appeared in Vipers half a year later. – Suddenly they got a new coach, and it was very coincidental that they wanted to offer me a contract. When the contract offer came, Andersen realized that it was an opportunity that could not be missed. – This is an extreme chance. I couldn’t say no to that, says the Vipers player. OFFENSIVE: Here Vipers player Sunniva Andersen tries to score a goal in the Champions League against Hungarian Gyori Audi ETO KC in 2019. Photo: Csaba Krizsan / AP – Could have missed a great talent Vipers coach Ole Gustav Gjekstad was the one who gave Andersen the chance in 2018. – I think that for both Sunniva and handball it was a good choice to put on the uniform again. It could have ended in a short handball career, and you could have missed out on a great talent, says Gjekstad. Teammate, Stine Bredal Oftedal, is impressed by what Andersen has achieved in recent years. – I think Sunniva’s story is very cool. It shows that there are several roads to a big goal. It probably gives hope to many, says Oftedal. Taking out for the EC Once again, it is coincidence that sends Andersen’s career in a completely new direction. Sanna Solberg-Isaksen and Camilla Herrem lose the championship as they are pregnant. This has meant that the 25-year-old has emerged as first choice on the edge. JULIETATION: Norway’s Sunniva Andersen was able to let loose the jubilation in the DNB Arena after beating Brazil in the dress rehearsal before the handball EC. Photo: Beate Oma Dahle / Beate Oma Dahle When the team for the EC was presented, Andersen was among those chosen. – Even if the probability was higher, it’s not completely certain until you get that phone call, so it was a lot of fun, she says. As a championship debutant, she hopes there will not be too much of a difference from the level she is used to. – This is as new to me as anyone else who is doing it for the first time. They are players I play and have played against in the past for several years, so I hope the difference in level is not that great, she concludes.
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