NINE-TO-FIVEATHLETE

NINE-TO-FIVE ATHLETE

Text: Lina Åsberg / Photo: Anette Andersson

Johanna Åström discovered she had a talent for moving fast in the mountains by pure coincidence. She soon became both an elite skyrunner and Swedish national team ski mountaineer. It was all smooth sailing…until it wasn’t. These days, she tries to focus less on performance and more on the joy of exploring.

Although Johanna Åström is only 26 years old, she’s already accomplished more than most. She’s competed in – and won – several big skyrunning races, thrown herself into ski mountaineering and become an ambassador for Arc’teryx – all while based in her Norwegian hometown Åndalsnes. When we sit down for a chat in November, she’s in the French Alps with the National Ski Mountaineering Team – everyday life for a girl constantly living among mountain tops and forest trails. Despite her success, Johanna is humble – not one to hog the spotlight and, all trophies aside, someone who’s keen to emphasise how she’s “not competitive”. In August 2021, Johanna announced through social media that she was pausing her competitive career to regain her passion for running. In our interview, she’s keen to stress how she “competes because it’s fun”, to see how far she can push herself and be among the like-minded.

TELL ME JOHANNA, WHAT GOT YOU INTO TRAIL RUNNING?

- I grew up in Matfors, a tiny village outside of Sundsvall, Sweden, and I’ve always been interested in sports and the outdoors. I grew up orienteering, skating, swimming, and playing football, and was constantly out doing sport with friends. It was never about competing or getting one up on someone else; I just liked being outdoors and hanging out. After that, I moved to Funäsdalen and started working in a small skiing shop. I entered an uphill running race, and it went better than I’d expected. The Funäsdalen area is amazing for both trail running and skimo. I got a taste for it and wanted to get better. Truth be told, that’s probably why I enjoyed orienteering so much – it was the running that I loved. I’ve never been that great at reading maps, Johanna says with a laugh. But in autumn 2021, it all came to a halt. Johanna slowly felt her joy turn to distress and growing pressure to perform in the world of competitive sports. It all started with a skiing contest where Johanna didn’t score as well as she’d hoped. The disappointment soon affected other races and eventually her regular training. - I started to feel like I was inadequate, Johanna confesses. If I didn’t deliver, I wasn’t just disappointed with the results,

Johanna’stoppicks!

HER FAVOURITE ARC’TERYX TRAIL RUNNING GEAR

NORVAN SL 2 – Lightweight running shoes that you can barely feel on your feet. “They feel great both on my feet and on the ground”, Johanna says.

SQUAMISH HOODY – A lightweight, packable wind jacket that Johanna always brings in case of unpredictable weather.

CITA VEST – A well-ventilated vest that’s super handy to always have with you.

NORVAN 7 – Lightweight running vest with hydration system, released in an updated design for 2022.

JohannaÅström

AGE: 26 years. OCCUPATION: Sky runner and member of the Swedish National Skimo Team LIVES: Åndalsnes, Norge. I was disappointed in myself. It was like: “Now Johanna, you have to perform, or you’re useless”. I’ve always been driven by an inner motivation, and this felt alien. That’s when I realised I needed to take a break and try and rediscover the joy of competing. So, Johanna began to focus on smaller races with lower stakes and less publicity. That’s how she found her way back to bliss and community, and she lights up when talking about how much she now enjoys training, bringing this epiphany to the big races.

YOU WROTE IN AN INSTAGRAM POST THAT YOU DON’T WANT TO BE A 24/7 ATHLETE. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?

- When you’re part of this scene, it’s easy for the training and competition to become a 24/7 thing, Johanna replies. But to me, it’s important to have something else, besides training, to help me disconnect from sports and performance. For example, I work at a small café and sports shop in the village where I live, and I love it because it’s something different. - But, of course, there are people who stay motivated by constantly thinking about training, results and ranking better in the next competition, Johanna adds. But that’s not me.

WHAT’S YOUR BEST ADVICE FOR ASPIRING TRAIL RUNNERS WHO WANT TO GET BETTER? HOW DO YOU STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN PERFORMANCE AND WELL-BEING?

- Jotting down your fundamental life values might be a good idea, says Johanna. Your why. Do you run because you’re adventurous, are you looking for a good time or do you want to add trophies to your cabinet? It’s easy to find yourself in a spiral of performance anxiety, especially when you’re young and discover a talent for running that brings you attention from the outside world. That’s when being able to revisit your why is helpful.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? WHAT’S NEXT, AND WHAT ARE YOUR DREAMS FOR TEN YEARS FROM NOW?

- First up, I’m competing in the Ski Mountaineering World Cup, and this coming summer I’m attending the Golden Trail Series where I’ll run Mont Blanc, Zegama and Stranda Gjord. Ten years from now, though… I hope I’ll still be training and running, regardless of which level I’m performing at. And I love baking, so it would be fun to open my own little bakery.

Did you also miss summer running?