Coach Profile

Q: How did you first get involved in orienteering?
A: I had tried Football(Soccer), Bowling and Athletics. Then I tried orienteering as a 14-year old and was hooked. I was a natural talent when it came to map-reading, so I already joined the Danish U-16 national team 2 years after my debut.

Q: How did you first get involved in coaching?
A: After university I took upon some coaching jobs. In Finland I assisted the junior national team in the season leading up to JWOC 2019 in Denmark. I have always wanted to give back to orienteering, what I received, so I have done coaching and course-planning for different groups.

Q: What aspect of coaching is your favourite?
A: Mental and physiological training in orienteering. I am myself very strong in this field and I feel that it is very often not talked about, mostly because it is so difficult to address. There are many ways to train physically and technically and I listen and get inspired by all. But rarely anyone comes up with a good recipe for succeeding with the mental/psychological aspect of orienteering.

Q: How do you work with athletes to help them prepare for a specific big race?
A: Its important for the athlete to clarify their own expectations to this race early on. Its okay to dream big, but its too late to come up with goals the day before. Many will be aware of how to prepare their shape, technic, food, etc. but I will also make the athlete think about different possible scenarios that can happen on race day and what to do in that situation. With this preparation the athlete can maximize their abilities as nothing will surprise them. Furthermore, I will offer them a tool-set to tackle the negative thoughts and feelings during the race, so they can avoid acting upon them.

Q: If you had one tip for young orienteers what would it be?
A: Be open, listen and get inspired by anyone. There is not one way to become better and you need to find out what works for you. Orienteering is a constant learning-curve and I am even still finding new ways to do things. Remember that it needs to be fun. The social aspect of orienteering is very important. Use each other, participate in the interesting events to stay motivated and remember that any bad race is part of the journey to become better.