5.03.20 I was in the city with a friend when I got the message that the Holmenkollen skifestival is canceled for spectators. Because I signed up a week before to volunteer, I got the information, that I, as a volunteer, still can go to the event because the competitions are still happening and they need some help. Because the other students, first of all, all jumped off, I didnt wanted to camp alone at the Holmenkollen area. Luckily my friend has a Cousin in Oslo which hosted me spontaniously. Marie texted me because I informed the others, that I am still going to go to Oslo. She asked me if she can maybe join me with volunteering. So I arranged everything that she could join. After everything was set i finaly could relax and was just Looking forward to the weekend in Oslo.

6.03.20 Surprisely some other internationals decided to go to oslo because they had the bus tickets so I drove the way up with Michelle. After we arrived, I got to know Emma (the cousin of my friend) and we had a fika. After she had to go to work, I went out and explored a bit the City by my own, because the others havent been in the City or where busy. I went to the Frognerparken and enjoyed the sun. I just realised again how much I love and missed the time being alone, exploring, enjoying and just be in a City. i walked around the frognerparken and down to the Harbour, where i found a really nice skatepark and saw a lot of runners in lookthrough tights (I was super confused why mens are wearing this but the next days i realised that those guys were compeeting at holmenkollen and that they were wearing their training suits 🙂 ). then i meet the others at the City center. because a few of them already saw the most famous spots of Oslo we decided to go to Grünerlokka. I was really relaxed and fine with everything because I already had a nice day in the City and just wanted to walk around a bit more. But the interests in the Group have been really divers. In the end we haven´t seen too much of grünerlokka because when we actually arrived there we had to turn back because the others had to get back to the car. so we made our way back to the car. There I said good bye and walked back to my apartent with Jella and Marie. That was really nice because we found some nice streets and bars on the way. Because it was really freezing outside i was quite happy to be at my accomomndation. so I had dinner and a really relaxed and nice evening with Emma.

7.03.20 After we arrived at Holmenkollen with the really funny train drive with lots of Young students, drinking and playing loud Music, we got to know the other volunteers and what our Task was for the next days. So basically our Task was to prepair the tracks before the Competition and be the Bodyguards for the tracks, so nobody will walk trough them. That was a really relaxed and interesting Job. because we didn´t really had anything to do while the Competition was on, and our Position was at the entrance of the Arena (so start and finish area), we all decided to cheer for all the skiers. This was a lot of fun. Because we were direcly located at the Coaching Zone, we got to know the Team doctor of the german Team. It was quite interesting to see and hear a bit about the Team and to get a feeling of how much work and how big a Team is behind just one Skier. I felt the womens were quite fast. The hole Competition of the women was really interesting, espatially with the finish, when the Therese Johaug (Team norway) just haven´t won because she decided to not Change her skis. after we got our lunch, marie and me decided to watch the Team skijump. It was really crazy to see how far the ski jumpers fly and in the same time really sad to see the empty Arena. But that was not the only shocking experience. All in all i was quite shocked how he skijumpers bodycondition is. They all look really sick because they are so thin! Espatially at the cross Country Competition it shocked me that Theresa is 1,62 meters high and just weights 46kg. So now I am just wondering how can you participate a 30km race in this Body condition. We also talked About it with the Team doctor from Germany and he also said ist a shame that they do that with their Body. As a comparison Katharina Henning (the best german cross Country runner in this Competition) is also 1,63 meters high and weights 60 kg. I think it was really sad to see the totally empty Arena but in the same time I got to know so many interesting People ( had also a really good talk with the Father of the Coach of the norwegian skijumpers. He is actually austrian.) had really interesting and mind Opening talks and just appreciated to be part of this Event.

8.03.20 The day didn´t started really nice, because it was raining the hole day. So we got Ready for the mixed relay race of the norwegian youth Teams. Here we had to move to another spot of the Trail becasue they didn´t had enough People there. at this spot they had a camera man from NRK. We had a Chat with him and got a better view of his Job, what Kind of education you Need and how his normal work day would look like. Because Marie felt really sick, she just went back to oslo while the race was still on. I decided to stay because i really wanted to see the 50 km mans race.

For that i was allowed to get back to my earlier Position at the Arena. When i arrived there the german doctor greeted me directly and i got part of the german Team for this race. This was really nice! I cheared a lot for the Germans but also for the others. It was unbelievable. I thought the day before the Girls were fast but the mans topped everything that i could exspacted. Because everybody already knew each other a bit from the day before the Coaches started to make fun with each other and we had a really good ime together. Espatially the Team China was quite interesting because they are quite new in the games and they have some diffent taktics in the run. Also we cheared a lot for the american Team so in the end all the Coaches, press and us the volunteers cheared for Adam bcs he was one of the last runners! How I said I got quite icluded in the german Team because first of all the skiers lokked at me because they were quite curious who this Girl at the track is that shouts out their nick names in german 🙂 but also because the Team doc gave me some intern Infos what is Happening and I was also allowed to listen to the walkytalky conversations. Also one of the competors (“katze” – Andreas Katz) Always asked us About our thoughts About tactics. I thought it was quite crazy that he asked us so many Things while skiing. I guess if i would be in that race i would be super concentrated and in focus and so strained that i could defenetly not talk to somebody on the way. after the mens race, I said good bye to everybody and helped to clean the hole tracks. Actually i was Looking Forward to see the skijump with severin Freud but because the weather was to bad with a lot of fog, they had to cancel it. So I just said goodby to all of the volunters and went back to my Apartment got get my stuff and drive back to Kristiansand.

All in all it was an amazing Weekend, where got to know so many interesting and lovely persons and learned a lot in those days. I appreciate the time and hope I can be back at Holmenkollen 2021 to see all those amazing People again but this time with a big crowd!