Just over a year and a half ago, the 23-year-old competed at the U23 World Championships for Sweden. Since then, the Värmland skier had been absent. But at the Alliansloppet, she was back on the start line after 541 days away.

Josehanna Lundgren Wikström competed in her last race on March 8, 2024, in Östersund. Since then, she has fought to return to skiing. Now she opens up about the kidney problems that could have ended her career.

But first, let’s rewind the tape because the problems started much earlier.

Congenital malformation

The problems began during ski high school in Torsby when Josehanna fell during a ski race and suddenly felt pain in her back. During a hospital visit, it was discovered that she had a malformation in her kidney.

“I was told it was a congenital malformation and that it would cause problems for me sooner or later. They said at some point it would need surgery, but it would also mean a very long recovery time where you can’t train or move the way you want, and you are young,” she told Langd.se.

Josehanna took antibiotics for three months and recovered, but still had minor kidney infections off and on.

A few years passed, but during the U23 World Championships in Planica 2024, the 23-year-old didn’t recognize her body at all.

“I was there, and suddenly it felt like I was competing in a completely different body. I didn’t recognize it at all,” she says.

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The story continues below.

The problems began

Some time after the championships, Josehanna became very ill and had to go to the hospital. That marked the start of a long period of illness and problems. She remained in the hospital for over a month, with operations gone wrong and what the Värmland skier describes as indescribable pain.

Eventually, it was concluded that she would need to remove the malformation, but since Josehanna was “in the middle” of her skiing career, she wanted to wait.

“I wanted to ski, so I thought I didn’t have time for that. I thought, let’s not do it now, but postpone it. That’s just stupid. If there’s anything you should prioritize, it’s your health and life before training and skiing. But that’s not how I thought, of course,” Josehanna says.

Preparing for the season premiere when the doctor called

So, she began preparing for the 2024/2025 season. But during a training session in autumn 2024, Josehanna received a phone call from her kidney doctor in Karlstad, and she immediately sensed trouble.

“I got a little worried when my kidney doctor called. Then he said it wouldn’t work,” Josehanna recalls, continuing:

“He said: ‘I don’t want you to go away and compete this winter, because if you get sick with your kidney, you’ll need immediate medical care. We in Karlstad are the only ones who know about your kidney.’ So, it wouldn’t be good if I were somewhere else.”

The doctor was clear that it was time to operate and remove the diseased part of the kidney, and as a result, the entire last season was without competitions.

‘Tried to heal’

Since then, the 23-year-old has fought to come back, and now Josehanna Lundgren Wikström has started training again. But the road back hasn’t been easy.

“For the past year and a half, I’ve tried to heal and return. Now I’ve started training and gotten going, but I’m not really where I want to be or wish I were,” she says, adding:

“You also become greedy so quickly, I think. At first, I just wished that ‘if I can get up out of bed one day, I’ll be happy.’ And then it so quickly turns into wanting so much more. I get a little mad at myself for that, but I guess it’s about really wanting and hoping that I’ll someday reach my goals and my dreams.”

Comeback

At the Alliansloppet and the competitions in Trollhättan two weeks ago, Josehanna Lundgren Wikström finally returned to the start line. In Sunday’s 15-kilometer race, she made her comeback with a bib number after nearly a year and a half on the sidelines.

“Even though I was ‘really angry’ after the Alliansloppet, or mostly sad. I didn’t think it would go well, but I honestly didn’t think it would go that badly either. But then you also get black and white proof that training pays off, and in a way, that’s good.”

How did it feel to stand on the starting line again after such a long time?

“Above all, I was unsure. I didn’t remember how to do it. Like, how fast do you ski? What should I think about? Just skiing a course and considering how to take a curve—I hadn’t done that in ages. So, it was weird, but mostly it was very fun to go and meet everyone else competing, all the parents, and travel with the club again.”

She adds:

“That’s why many people keep going, I think. Because the whole community is just so much fun.”

Wants to compete this winter

Now, Josehanna Lundgren Wikström is looking ahead, and this winter she hopes to compete in most of the Smart Energy Cup races.

“My plan and wish are mainly to compete in the Swedish Cup. Then we’ll see what my body can handle and endure. My coach probably has a little plan for me not to go too hard with competition right away.”

“I want to and need to come back. And if it goes badly, then so be it. That has to be okay,” she concludes.

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