– It was a defining moment and I decided to try a little harder, says Tjøm to news. He talks about the time when it became clear that he had to have heart surgery. Already as a 15-year-old, he had learned that his heart was not working quite as it should, but now it had become worse than before. – In the beginning it only affects me when we train calmly. I had to lie down and keep my legs up to get the rhythm on track. I could have a heart rate of over 200 when I just went for a walk, says the 25-year-old from Tønsberg. UNCOMFORTABLE: Tjøm says that he got over 200 in pulse just from going for a light walk. Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB Legane had given the active youngster the go-ahead to continue training and competing, as the risk of an operation was greater than the challenges he then had with his heart. He just had to live with the seizures that came even during completely calm training sessions. – It was a little uncomfortable, but it’s strange when you’re used to training and you’re used to getting a little acid and getting a little stiff. It feels like you got acid just lying on the couch and watching a movie. It was very strange and a bit absurd, he says of the seizure. On Thursday, Tjøm and partner Lars Benske start the road towards the medal dream in the EC at 12.45. news broadcasts rowing from the EC week from 10.00. – It felt quite serious But about three years ago the attacks came more and more often. – Little by little it started to affect competition and the like. Then I realized that I had to do something about it. At the same time as he felt the heart problem to an increasing degree, he had his breakthrough in the World Cup with a 4th place and a 7th place. But an operation was unavoidable. – It may not seem serious, but you think about what you spend your time on, he admits. SIT BACK: Here is Tjøm in action during the WC in Austria in 2019, just under a year after the heart operation. Photo: Estela Reinoso Maset / NTB It was only during the operation in autumn 2018 that he learned that his condition was congenital and is called Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. Which means that he had a number of extra conduction pathways that disturbed the heart rhythm. The surgeons cut off a number of nerve fibers, and after seven and a half hours the operation was a success. But the promising talent could not train for three months to allow the heart to heal. Suddenly, the everyday life was completely turned upside down, and soon after the breakthrough, he had to put his years on the shelf. – To be honest, there wasn’t that much in mind. It seemed quite serious there and then. Rowing was not the most important thing for me, it was more about surviving, says Tjøm. – It’s been a bit unreal But gradually the Tønsberg guy was able to train more and more, and now the job has resulted in his definitive breakthrough at the top of the world. During the first World Cup of the season in Poznań, he and partner Lars Benske went all the way to the top, and a few weeks later they followed up with third place in Lucerne. – It has been a bit surreal, but it has also been a lot of fun. I know it has been very exciting and I am looking forward to the continuation, says Tjøm. SURPRISED: National team coach Mark Emke was impressed by Tjøm and Benske’s performances in the early summer. Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB The duo now come to the EC with expectations that they can fight at the very top. For Norway’s new head coach Mark Emke, it was not a situation he had envisaged. – It was a surprise to me what they did in Poznań, and the result in Lucerne was also very good. We have to take care of this form, and make sure that they improve a little, so that they can get the same good results in the championship, says Dutch Emke. He boasts of Tjøm and Benske’s mentality, which is constantly busy with the work needed to achieve top results. – I am very aware that form is a fresh product, and that you have to work hard and that nothing is taken for granted. We just try to forget everything that has happened and just work on as if we haven’t won anything, concludes Tjøm.
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– Rowing was not important, it was more about surviving – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
