In just over two weeks, Helene Marie Fossesholm has secured five podium finishes in competitions featuring the world’s elite: three times at the Blink Festival and twice at Toppidrettsveka over the weekend, where she placed third in the pursuit in Granåsen and third overall. This is more podium placements than she had in the past three seasons combined.

The 23-year-old is glowing. Her responses come easily once more.

“It’s summer and its roller skiing, but receiving positive feedback is never a bad thing. I’m here for a reason, and that’s to compete. Coming here and performing poorly is not what I need right now. I need positive experiences, I need my body to function, and I’ve achieved that here. Now I’ve gathered some good sessions and a bit of self-confidence,” Fossesholm told Langrenn.com after her third-place finish at Toppidrettsveka.

“Self-confidence hasn’t exactly been something I’ve been overflowing with over the past three years. It’s clear that when you’re banging your head against the wall for three years, your self-confidence isn’t at its peak. So, it’s good to feel that I’ve got some spark in my legs and that I recognize a bit of the old Helene. I’ll try to maintain that throughout the fall.”

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Three Years of Struggles

Fossesholm was only 18 when she joined the elite national team in the spring of 2020. The first season was a continuous rise, with strong performances in the World Cup, a World Championship relay gold, and top 10 individual placements at the World Championships in Oberstdorf in 2021. Everything seemed set for her first Olympics to be at least as successful.

But that wasn’t the case. In the lead-up to the 2022 Olympic season, Fossesholm faced a major setback. She left the Olympics before the championship was over, didn’t race in any more ski events that season, and took a break from training for many months. She has struggled to find her form since then. In late winter this year, she attempted a comeback, but it didn’t turn into a resounding success.

When Fossesholm looks back, she clearly sees what the issue was:

“I trained too much in the first year on the national team.”

Her rejection from the national team in April was something she had expected.

For Fossesholm, it wasn’t a defeat but a golden opportunity for a restart. She used the winter break to reflect, rediscover joy and passion.

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Tackling Three Years of Adversity

Three years of struggle is a long time. How did you handle it?

“Luckily, I didn’t know how long it would take. That’s an advantage. If someone had told me, ‘Helene, this will take three years,’ it would have been worse. I knew it would take time, but three years is a long time.”

Fossesholm admits it has been a test of patience, but she has been determined not to rush things.

“I’ve taken time as an ally. Even though I’ve had periods of doubt, I’ve always believed that one day it would click. If I train wisely and maintain continuity in my training, I will ski fast again,” she says.

Clear Plan and Perspective

Outside the national team, Fossesholm has total freedom to set up her own training program and support system. Her father, who has been her coach throughout her upbringing, is now her coach again.

“My dad and I are a ‘dream team’. He has been my coach since I was very young, in handball, football, skiing, and cycling. He knows me well and knows how I respond,” says Fossesholm.

Together, they have created a plan for the season’s preparation: less volume, more intensity, and more energy. Four months later, she is already seeing results.

“I think it’s working well these days. It’s still summer, but I feel like I’m in a completely different place than last year. I’ve trained less, but I’ve focused on good high-intensity sessions and on having energy. It’s something I need,” says Fossesholm, adding:

“Of course, as a top athlete, you need to be able to handle being tired, but that’s not what I’m going to focus on this year. I need to be sensible. I want to be sharp, but I don’t want to push any limits because I don’t have the robustness I had before. I need to build myself up again and give my body time to recover.”

She has also had to work on her mindset, accepting that she can’t start directly where she left off.

“I need to be satisfied with the training I’m doing. If I constantly think about what I’d like to do or should be doing, it just leads to disappointment. I’m focusing on having a plan, but I’m open to adjusting it as needed. I’ve made my mistakes, so I’m trying to be a bit smarter and set aside the more reckless side of me.”

What are you doing differently now?

“I’m not training much differently, but I’ve gone a bit ‘back to basics.’  We’re focusing on training well and sensible amounts,” explains Fossesholm, adding:

“I notice that I respond well to intense sessions, and it’s important to have good high-intensity workouts. If you don’t have good hard sessions, you don’t have control either. So I’m doing quality sessions with a good mix of intense workouts and more controlled sessions. But it’s important not to overdo any aspect.”

Additionally, Fossesholm has reintroduced more cycling into her routine. Until she joined the elite national team, she had competed at the highest level in both skiing and cycling.

“I love cycling, and it’s incredibly good training. I’ve incorporated more of it now simply because I’ve realized how much it benefits me. I’ve had withdrawal symptoms for three years, so it was great to get back on the bike,” she says.

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Coach Dad

In the finish area in Granåsen stands her father, Øivind Fossesholm. He smiles as he sees his daughter cross the finish line with a new success. The placement is not as important. He is just happy to have his daughter back.

“As parents, it’s tough to see your child struggle, whether it’s work, school, or whatever they’re passionate about. You want the best for your children. If it were a job she didn’t enjoy or succeed in, she could switch. With sports, it’s so brutal. In sports, you can’t just switch. You either continue or quit,” he tells Langrenn.com.

“It’s painful to watch, especially when it goes on for so long.”

Now things have turned around. Slowly, Helene Marie Fossesholm is making her way back, both physically and mentally. And her father likes what he sees.

“She has the training in her. Now we need to make sure she continues to train well and that it’s not too much, but just right.”

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