PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Ebba Årsjö has had an incomparable year behind her.
And one of the greatest things she experienced was a powerful gesture from Ingemar Stenmark himself.
– It was absolutely incredible! It is probably the top-2 sickest thing that has ever happened in my life, says the 22-year-old in an interview with Sportbibeln.
The past year has been incredibly special for the 22-year-old para athlete Ebba Årsjö. The Swede has exceeded all expectations and achieved great success in alpine several times, winning a total of 8 gold medals within the space of 12 months.
Årsjö’s golden rain
Everything took off at the beginning of 2022 when Årsjö, who was born with Klippel-Trénaunay syndrome, won double gold in the para WC and shortly later also double gold in the Paralympics. She then followed that up and raised the bar even more with a whopping four golds at the 2023 Para World Championships recently.
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Thanks to the golden rain last year, completely new doors have been opened for Ebba Årsjö, who can now make a living from her sport. She has been nominated at the Sports Gala, received an award at the Time’s Hockey Gala and last summer the Swede was rewarded greatly when she received the prestigious Victoria Prize from Crown Princess Victoria.
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Stenmark’s gesture
And if that wasn’t enough, received the very nicest greeting in connection with the award, from the two Alpine royalty Ingemar Stenmark and Pernilla Wiberg.
– Congratulations Ebba, on the Victoria prize! Here are two who have also received it. It’s been a long time, but it’s a nice price. Ebba, you are incredibly good at skiing, Pillan said in the video greeting.
– I have seen you ride and it is very impressive, said “Stenis”.
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Årsjö was completely shocked by the legends’ nice gesture and still gets goosebumps from the greeting to this day.
– It was absolutely incredible! It’s probably the top-2 sickest thing that ever happened in my life. That Stenmark and “Pillan” sat there and toasted me was really cool, says Ebba in an interview with Sportbibeln, more admitting that she hasn’t met the great Stenmark since then.
– Well, I haven’t actually met him. I heard he was at the Sports Gala but I never saw him.
Has Ingemar Stenmark been a role model for you?
– Nah, he’s never really been a role model for me like that, it was too long before my time. Of course he is one of the greatest, but I had other role models when I was growing up.
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Farewell Salming
Alongside the alpine heroes Stenmark and Wiberg, it was great for Årsjö to meet and spend time with the future royal couple during the festivities in Borgholm.
– Victoria and Daniel were so lovely. It felt like sitting down and talking to a friend’s parents, sort of. They asked me about skiing and that they enjoyed skiing themselves, they were very relaxed to just sit and talk to. They didn’t think so, admits Ebba in the interview.
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The feelings were all the stronger at the end of 2022 when the young Swede was invited to the Tidernas hockey gala to hand out prizes together with Anja Pärson. During the gala in the Avicii arena, Swedish hockey’s best player of all time was named and great focus was directed at ALS sufferers Börje Salming who was on hand to receive the crowd’s cheers and bid farewell before his passing a short time later.
– It was very emotional. I’m not a big hockey fan myself, so for me the gala didn’t mean that much. But it was noticeable that everyone else was so emotional and then you were also touched by it. It was nice for Börje, the 22-year-old tells Sportbibeln.
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READ MORE: Ingemar Stenmark receives the fine honorary assignment – after the death of his friend Börje Salming: “A matter of course”