– There is a lot of pain and mental pressure. Now I train 25 hours a week, and I plan my life around sport. The plan was to become a nurse. But the dream of becoming the world’s strongest Crossfit athlete was too strong for Veslemøy Kollstad. Last year she quit her job in Kristiansand and decided to focus everything on sports. – Most of what we do is painful, but when you have fought your way through something and still manage to do it, the feeling is absolutely raw, says the 26-year-old. CrossFit is about being the best you can be at everything. Strength, endurance, balance, mental strength and speed. Photo: Anniken Steen Birkhaug / news The world’s strongest For five years, Kollstad has trained purposefully. Now it’s almost time to prove it. The southerner will participate in the CrossFit Games with his team in the USA in early August. The competition is seen as the unofficial WC. – This is the biggest competition I have ever taken part in. We will go through ten different tests and we don’t know what we will compete in yet, she says. They will face 39 other teams from around the world. Four of the teams are Norwegian. – We have good chances and were better than we thought in the semi-final in Berlin recently. We are now ranked as the 12th best team in the world, says Kollstad. On the team: Henrik Yttervik, Henrik Negård, Ingrid Jackobsen Tøndel and Veslemøy Kollstad. Photo: Anniken Steen Birkhaug / news “Let’s goooo” Imagine this: a full arena with the audience in every seat. Loud music is pumped out of speakers and mixes with an energetic speaker’s voice: “Let’s goooo”. On the floor, muscular and agile women and men work at a high pace, while the audience shouts them forward. Kollstad and the others must be prepared for everything. They do not know which exercises they will compete in until 30 minutes before the start. The organizer decides the number, layout and which exercises they will go through. Running, cycling, swimming and a number of strength exercises can be on the menu. This is what it looks like during the CrossFit Games. This is where Kollstad will participate. Photo: CrossFit Games The best possible in everything Kollstad has always enjoyed training. She is the Norwegian champion in weightlifting, and as a teenager she proved herself well in sprints and hurdles on the athletics track. Although a large part of her life is devoted to training, she believes that she does not miss anything. The sport gives her so much back. – There are small and big choices you have to make, such as not drinking, or going out on the town to party. I think it’s more fun to feel good in training and have a good session, she says. At one of the last training sessions before leaving for the USA, Kollstad chose to skip the run due to an embattled hoarding. Photo: Anniken Steen Birkhaug / news “Saved” by crossfit In the USA, Kollstad gets the competition from Ingrid Hodnemyr from the neighboring municipality of Vennesla. She is on one of the other Norwegian teams. The 28-year-old was a promising handball player, but injuries ruined his career. Then crossfit became the “rescue”. She could continue with the most fun she knows: sports. – It gives me such a sense of mastery. We fight for the team. The joy we feel when we do well is absolutely fantastic, she says. Hodnemyr also trains twice a day, and runs 11 sessions a week. Her team came second last year, and the year before. – My goal is to stand on top of the podium with my team during the CrossFit Games. The level of the team competition is higher than ever, so this is a lofty goal, says Hodnemyr. After many injuries on the handball court, Ingrid Hodnemyr had to find a new sport. Photo: Astri Øverdal / news Role models from around the world Veslemøy Kollstad has several role models. Among others Charlotte Nevland and the aforementioned Hodnemyr. But the strongest inspiration is a woman who caught the eye of many last year. Then she participated in the news program Mesternes mester. Kristin Holte is the best Norwegian crossfit athlete in history. In 2017 she won the EC. Later she was number seven in the WC individually. She was able to crown herself with the title “seven fittest woman in the world”. – It has been great to train with her. It gives extra motivation to have her in training, says Kollstad. How to start with crossfit Although Kollstad and Hodnemyr’s training plan is not for most people, she believes that everyone can enjoy and benefit from crossfit training. – Those who want to start CrossFit must dare to try. Show up at a CrossFit Box and there are many skilled trainers who can help you, says Hodnemyr. They have the following tips for those who want to try crossfit: Take a friend with you if you think it’s scary to start alone. Focus on good technique rather than difficult movements and heavier weights – you’ll pay for it later. Don’t go too hard, but hold back a little on longer sessions. It is better to have a little more to give towards the end of the session.
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Veslemøy (26) quit her job to invest in crossfit – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
