SNS: Hi Tiril, you are constantly traveling, Italy, Argentina, Tour de France in Paris, and now back in Norway. How difficult is it for you to manage both your private and professional life on the road?

Tiril: I’ve been traveling the world for over 10 years now, and I’ve always loved it. Skiing is my «job», but it´s more like a lifestyle. Your private life becomes your professional life, and in this sport I think its hard to separate the two of them. My dad always told me to keep a little distance to the people you work with and separate work and privacy. But for me, that wouldn’t work. I like to make a personal effort and the closer I work with a brand, people and so on, the better I do. But it can also be hard sometimes, to separate the two of them and take brakes. Which we all need now and then.

You grew up in a family in which you were surrounded by athletes and sports, starting with your grandfather, your sister, and brothers who were or still are all professional athletes. How important was and is your family in your success?

My family is everything. I grew up skiing, but I have never been forced into doing anything that I didn’t wanted. I love sports and all weekends and vacations we usually did some kind of activities. Cross country skiing, hiking, biking, skiing and so on. At one time, I hated it, like every kid does at a time, but now I´m grateful that my parents brought us out into the nature and thought us everything I know today. They have always been very helpful, and drove us here and there, stepped in if we needed a soccer coach or brought us dinner in-between activities. The motivation has to come from YOU, and only you. It doesn’t matter how much others wants it. But without my family I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Reading about you, is quite interesting, listing beside all your accomplishments key facts such as 5 knee surgeries, torn ACL and meniscus, 2 broken thumps and one torn ligament in the thumb, 1 broken hand, 1 broken rib, and 1 heavy concussion. You must love what you do! Tell us, what motivates you and what helps you bounce back after an injury?

Before my first injury I thought I was immortal. I had heard about all the skiers who got injured, but I thought that would never happen to me. My first big injury was a torn ACL, which is a common injury in skiing and it takes a lot of time, hard work, self-discipline and energy to get back. When you get a big setback like a big injury its tough in the beginning, because you know it´s tough to get back to the level you once were. It was only two months a head of the Olympics in Sochi where I was one of the favorites to win a gold medal. I got super depressed at first, but then I turned around and I wanted to show everyone that I would come back and be on top of the game again. I’ve always been really competitive, as long as I can remember, and skiing for me at that point, was everything. My family and friends were a big support as well, and at my «darkest» days they helped me and gave me my confident back. The confident that I could do this. I remember one day, not so long after my surgery, everyone was skiing, and I could barely move, I didn’t even wanna watch skiing, my mom put me in a pulk behind her while she was cross-country skiing, and I had some poles to push with. We did a 14 km trail, and after that I felt the motivation to get back again and work hard. It´s been like this with all my injuries. You have good and you have bad days. And you need to surround yourself with people who are positive and pushes you.

Besides free skiing, we can see you surf, skate, hike, bike, run, and so many more activities. Are you ever stressed, or do you enjoy every part of your life?

If you had asked my boyfriend, he would say I´m stressed all the time.. I´m the kind of person who don’t want to miss out. I like hard work, and I´m really ambitious about everything I do. Maybe too ambitious sometimes. I wish I had more hours in a day so I could do more. I enjoy everything I do, and I like to have my hands full. If my calendar is empty (which never happens) I get stressed. I like watching a movie or something relaxing, but at the same time I feel like I´m wasting my time, time I could use on something important. I love trying out new stuff, which I´ve always likes since I was a kid, and I still have the same mentally, that I wanna be the best in everything I do, which can be a little stressful some times. But I love it!

Would it be too much to call adrenaline your drug and do you still need motivation every morning to get up and do your thing?

Yes and no. I love the adrenaline I get from trying out new stuff, but at the same time, its not the adrenaline that gets me up in the morning. I just love to get up and get things done. If I´m on a trip, skiing, vacation or other work related things, I´m just excited to get up and get the day started. Maybe I´m going on a beautiful hike, skiing somewhere I´ve never been before, meeting new people and so on. It´s doesn't have to be something extreme.

You always read about young athletes who rise to fame and success at an early age sacrificing a lot that other teenagers just take for granted, e.g. parties or spend time with friends. How was it for you growing up in such a competing sports world, were you able to manage it all or did you have to make sacrifices?

Of course you have to do sacrifices, but at the same time, I´ve experienced so much in such a young age that a lot of people doesn’t experience in their entire life. I´m so grateful for everything I´ve learned, all the places I´ve been, all the people I´ve met and everything that has come along and I wouldn’t do anything different. I chose skiing in an early age, and everything I´ve learned on the way have taught me a lot and I´ve grown as a person to become the girl I am today.

Puma has teamed up with one of your sponsors Helly Hansen for a winterized and outdoor-focused collection. What are you looking for when it comes to your off-slope style?

I live in comfortable clothes, at the same time I as love to dress up. I don´t think I have a specific style, but I like the combination of girly and cool.

What would you like to accomplish next, after all your gold medals and Championships, what is next for Tiril?

I don´t really have a plan in life. I kinda live the day to day lifestyle. With that said, I have a lot of dreams. In 2018 I decided to step out of the Norwegian free ski team to find my self again after many years on the road, lots of injuries, ups and downs. I´s been a bit scary but also good for me. I´ve had some time off to think about what I want to do in the future. I´m not longer competing in freeskiing, but skiing is still a big part of my life. And being a competitive person, I will always be driven against something competitive. It doesn’t have to be sports, but I think that side of me is pushing me to be the best and do my best, no matter what I do. From skiing park most of my life, I now wanna explore what else skiing is about. I wanna encourage young girls to be them self and do what they love, teach them that it´s not dangerous not to follow what everyone else is doing. I wanna explore other sides of me. I just started to work with TV this year, which I love. And I have a lot of projects going on, so, I don’t think I´m going to be bored. But right now, I´m at one point in life where I´m trying to figure out who I am and what I wanna do.