After two rounds of overtraining and rhabdomyolysis, a viral infection, and chronic fatigue syndrome, she has now made a decision about her future.

“After several years of adversity, it is not always easy to keep your spirits up. Maybe at the age of 31, you should realize that there are other things in life? But I refuse to give up,” says Magni Smedås on her social media. 

“Where others only see darkness, I choose to see the stars.”

The message comes after several years where one setback has replaced another for the long-distance skier from Norway. Nevertheless, she wants to keep going. 

Lost the World Championships in Trondheim

Ahead of the 2024/2025 season, Magni Smedås was in the form of her life and aiming for the World Championships in Trondheim. The plan was to double focus on both long-distance skiing and traditional cross-country skiing, as Astrid Øyre Slind has done for several years. Then everything suddenly fell apart. 

Already in January 2025, Magni Smedås had to realize that the World Championships would be gone for her. Then she lost the entire rest of the season. The reason was a viral infection in October 2024, which led to total fatigue syndrome. Two races in December were all she managed to do.

The previous season was also spoiled by injuries and illness. 

Among other things, she had two rounds of acute rhabdomyolysis in the summer of 2023, a serious condition in which the muscles are destroyed due to overload and the contents of the destroyed muscle cells leak into the blood, which in the worst case can lead to kidney failure. 

The story continues below.

From heaven to hell – round trip

Smedås, who is cousins ​​with Therese Johaug, switched to long-distance skiing ahead of the 2022/2023 season. Then her career took off. 

That winter she won both Marcialonga and Jizerská, was on the podium in Birken and came second overall in Ski Classics. She also took silver in the Norwegian Championships 30km, behind Johaug. 

In 2024, Smedås came in third overall in the Ski Classics, despite missing much of the season due to illness. But then it came to an abrupt end. For a long time. 

When Smedås took on the starting number at Alliansloppet at the end of August last year, she had not competed in almost nine months. It was a great success. She sprinted past the world elite in her comeback.

Last winter she was among the top ten in seven of the eight races she starte in Ski Classics, with fifth place in the Reistadløpet as her best placement. 

Now Magni Smedås is embarking on a new season. The drive and motivation are still alive. 

“The joy is still there. I’m not done craving for air in freezing winter weather, over Norwegian mountains, in Swedish forests or narrow Italian streets. Not yet.”

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