With the forest as a workplace

Still, over the years those games in the forest became something more. The joy and desire for motion developed into a greater passion – something that has taken her to a place among the world’s elite.

“When I was little, I could put on my skis at home and follow the snowmobile track all the way to training. It’s only now I realise what a luxury that was,” she says.

Today, Sundling is 30 years old and has Olympic and World Championship gold medals in the sprint and is currently the most decorated skier in the Swedish national team. Her success began in the forests of northern Sweden where, given the choice, you will still find her, whether on skis or roller skis, or in her running shoes.

“Imagine, I get to have a forest as my workplace! I’m grateful that I can make a living from skiing. In recent years especially, I’ve often pinched myself: Wow, this is real”, she says.

Happiest in the Swedish forest

Travelling to train and compete has taken her to many memorable destinations around the world, often with strikingly beautiful landscapes as a backdrop.

“But I guess I’m still happiest in the Swedish forest. And that’s the truth. I feel so at home on Swedish soil and enjoy pulling on my running shoes and setting off alone, smelling the scents and listening to the birds. Sure, it’s great to get out and see the countryside elsewhere, like in the Alps. But I and my partner were in Davos in Switzerland in July and I just kept going until he reminded me to stop and enjoy the view.

She laughs at the memory of how easy it is to become blind to beautiful surroundings; still, the ability to focus is what has taken her to the very top of her sport. At the time of writing, she is the only female Swedish skier to have won four Olympic golds. The only Swede ahead of her is the legendary Gunde Svan, who has seven golds.

Cross-country skiing was not a given

With hindsight, one might be forgiven for assuming that her choice of sport was a given. However, while the undemanding skiing of her childhood developed into a genuine interest, it was by no means certain that she would choose the path of cross-country skiing. Football also appealed, as did weight training at the gym. Her mother, Marie, hired a personal trainer for her young and eager daughter, to ensure she learned the right technique and avoided injury.

“I’ve always loved exercise. Sitting still isn’t my thing. I was thinking about that while I was standing in the wax cabin the other day, how much I enjoy practical and physical work. I’d probably rather run in the forest for three hours in freezing temperatures and rain than have to work in an office,” says Sundling, laughing once again.

It was when the time came to choose which programme to take in upper secondary school that it began to dawn on her that cross-country skiing was her calling. Once enrolled in the cross-country skiing programme at upper secondary school in Lycksele, belief began to grow that she had real development potential. This was really brought home when she won gold in the sprint at the 2014 Nordic Junior World Ski Championships in Val di Fiemme. According one commentator, she “pulverised” the competition.

“That was my last year as a junior; I realised that I had a chance and it went really well. After that result it was black-and-white to me that sprint was my thing, that I had good potential and the ability to develop and break new ground. It gave me a self-confidence that I was missing, and it motivated me,” says Sundling.

Towards new objectives

Horizons broadened, after leaving upper secondary school in 2015, she moved to Östersund, close to a number of other elite skiers and excellent training facilities. There were clouds on the horizon, however. The worst thing for an endurance athlete is falling ill, and this was happening to Sundling all the time. With over 60 sick days each season, her career was under threat just as it was beginning. It was difficult to maintain the continuity required to constantly improve. In 2017, she finally underwent surgery to have her tonsils removed, thus avoiding most of the infections that had previously dogged her. And it helped.

The following year, she won her first world cup sprint in Lillehammer, Norway. In December 2024, she won her tenth, at the same venue.

“Whenever I’ve won a major race, all of the sick days, injuries and surgery seem insignificant. I mean, who cares? Sick days be damned, because I know that it has all been worth it.”

In parallel with her success as a sprinter, she has also taken on longer distances with good results. For her, skiing is so much more than the rush of victory and the medals.

“I gives me back so much joy. I love it when I feel strong and I can be physically active, just like when I was little. And I get to know so many new people, see so many places and experience different cultures. I wish more people could do that, because its developed me a great deal as a person. And, when I think about the fact that it won’t always be like this, it makes me a bit sad,” she says.

Keep an eye out! The latest issue of Wood Magazine will be released in April, featuring the full article. Subscribe to Wood Magazine here!