The Team Aker Dæhlie Pro Team athlete marks a milestone today, but what many don’t know is that the endurance athlete from Kvæfjord, Norway, has only been skiing for just under a decade. Vesterheim started his athletic career as a football player, and it was during a world record attempt that his interest in long-distance skiing was sparked. The following excerpt is from a 2022 article originally published on ProXCskiing.com.

“I started skiing when I was 20 years old. Before that, I played football in the 3rd division in Norway, followed by long military service. So, when I finished military service, some friends and I had plans to set a world record for the fastest time crossing Greenland on skis.”

“And since this requires some skiing knowledge, I got my first ever racing skis from one of those who were to take part in the world record attempt and started training for this in January 2015, intending to cross Greenland in May 2015. But a few months later, one of those going over Greenland got sick, and the record attempt was canceled.”

The World’s Longest Ski Race as a Substitute

While preparing for the record attempt, Vesterheim had already spent three intense months training. To make the most of that effort, he entered the Troll Ski Marathon, choosing the longest distance of 120 kilometers—the world’s longest ski race at the time.

“I finished just 1 hour and 25 minutes behind skiers like Kjetil Dammen, Øyvind Moen Fjeld and Petter Skinstad. But this was the first time I competed individually in sports, and I loved it, the fight against myself and other like-minded people.” 

After this, the northern Norwegian athlete decided to move to Lillehammer, a hub for skiing. He began studying sports science while also pursuing competitive skiing.

“So, after this, I decided to move to Lillehammer to study sports science, but also to ski a little more. There was a double-poling revolution going on in cross-country skiing, and I had Øystein Pettersen as one of those I looked up to. I saw that he often trained once a day and often had long sessions. So, I did this too.”

Pettersen as a Role Model

Shortly after, Øystein Pettersen also moved to Lillehammer, and Magnus often joined his idol’s training sessions.

“The world of long-distance skiing is small and wonderful. And since then, the ball has rolled. I still love what I do.”

Happy Birthday, Magnus!

Are you interested in the complete interview? Click HERE and read more about it.