On Friday, the WC in Thaiboxing begins in Greece.
Sweden sends six active players to the championship. For Frida Lindberg from Uppsala, it will be her WC debut.
– I am incredibly busy. I want to show that Sweden can be counted on, she says
When Sporten visits the Thai boxing venue in Uppsala, a lunch session for exercisers has just ended.
The sport is growing as a form of exercise among the general public, but the very best Thai boxers in Sweden are not well-known sports stars.
Frida Lindberg works as a researcher part-time, she has reduced her working hours to be able to focus on elite Thai boxing.
In the past year, she has won EC bronze in Turkey and won SM gold at home in Uppsala.
And now the WC awaits in Greece.
The former world star is a coach
– I am most nervous just before the matches. Then it passes quickly. You rarely know what type of boxer you’re up against until you start hitting each other.
Frida’s trainer is called Bodil Frisk and has himself competed at the top of the world for many years.
– Frida knows that I have been through what she is going through now and I think that can calm her down. She has managed the upload in an exemplary manner, so now it’s just a matter of scooping.
Mental chess game
Thai boxing is described as a mental chess game where the head and body must be equally strong.
– If I kick you in the leg, you need to think of a way to hit me, where I’m not prepared. It’s always a struggle, says Frida.
– If you get both the mental and the physical in order, then you can go really far.