Guro Jordheim, a 28-year-old skier from Hemsedal, Norway, has just delivered the best season of her career. Yet she’s saying goodbye.

The past season was her best: she was selected as a reserve for the World Cup in Lillehammer and achieved a career-best in Ski Classics. But after nearly a decade of chasing podiums at the senior level, Guro Jordheim is putting her racing skis away.

“I realize that elite sports aren’t for everyone. You have to ski fast and be among the top ten all the time, but you also have to be really good at marketing yourself. That’s hard for me. I’m not quite there,” Jordheim told ProXCskiing.com’s sister site Langrenn.com.

Jordheim focused exclusively on traditional cross-country skiing for a long time, including four years at college in the USA. Over the past three seasons, she has been part of the long-distance ski team Team Aker Dæhlie, while also competing in traditional cross-country skiing.

Also Read: Collegiate skiing: Racing, studying and meeting the President of the United States

“At first, it was hard to say it out loud. There’s something about constantly chasing big goals and succeeding. But now I feel a bit relieved. It’s tough being in it and not feeling like you can give 100 percent when you’re part of such a good team,” she says.

Jordheim isn’t the only member of Team Aker Dæhlie retiring this season.

Read More – End of an Era: Retires after 13 seasons at the top level

Everyday Life Has to Work

For Jordheim, it’s about making everyday life manageable without constant guilt.

“I noticed during the season that something changed with my inner motivation. Since I have to work alongside training, I felt guilty when I wasn’t working. And when I was working, I felt guilty for not training,” she told Langrenn.com.

Over time, her decision became clearer.

“I told Chris (Jespersen) just before the last races of the season that I felt I was done. I don’t quite remember how he reacted, but it was probably hardest for me. You feel like you’re giving away a potential. There’s something about always chasing big goals and succeeding.”

Also Read: Guro Jordheim’s breakout season – On snow and in business

Farm Girl with Plans Beyond Skiing

Guro Jordheim is heir to a family farm that produces milk. She’s looking forward to taking it over in the future. In the coming months, she’ll focus more on farm work back home in Hemsedal and devote time to her newly established business, ByG.

Read More: Aker Dæhlie athlete launches brand

Visit ByG’s online store here