Norway’s Vilde Nilsen aims to reel in Paralympic gold

When Norwegian Paralympian Vilde Nilsen does not have ski poles in her hands, you are likely to find her holding a fishing rod or a violin.

The 12-time Para cross-country skiing world champion has high hopes of bagging gold at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. She has been in electric form, winning 10 out of 11 races in the latest season.

Key to her success is finding a balance between work, rest and play. During summer months, she spends 15 to 20 hours training a week – on roller skis, running, cycling and strength sessions.

But she also carves out time to dangle a line in the river to catch some dinner.

“I try to stock up my freezer for the season, so there's a lot of cod and also salmon,” she told the IPC from a car on her way to a little remote cabin with her family. “It makes me think that life is more than just training... I really appreciate the opportunities I have to fish and hunt.”

In the autumn months, Nilsen enjoys moose hunting trips in the Norwegian forests.

Hitting the right note

Playing music is also an important part of mental preparation and focus, Nilsen said.

She enjoys playing classical music on the violin, such as Vivaldi and Bach, as well as more modern pieces on the piano, including Coldplay songs.

Nilsen, who splits her time between Lilihammer and Tromso in Norway, said there are parallels between her competition life and playing solo pieces as part of an orchestra.

“It was important to not think before the concert that ‘I will fail’ because if you think ‘I will fail, you most likely will,’” she said.

“And that's like if I'm going in a race and thinking about a downhill with a turn that's difficult for me with my leg disability. If I think I'm not going to make it... I will not make it.”

Going for gold

Like many Para athletes, Nilsen has grappled with the highs and lows of elite sport.

A month before the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics, she was struck down with coronavirus and struggled with the altitude at the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre.

Nilsen earned a silver medal behind Canada’s Natalie Wilkie in the women’s sprint free standing race, after leading the pack for most of the race. She also picked up a bronze medal in the open 4x2.5km relay, finishing behind gold medallists Ukraine and silver medallists France.

In 2018 at the PyeongChang Paralympics, she also claimed silver in the women’s 1.5km sprint classic standing event.

But in the Italian mountains, Nilsen hopes the stars finally align for gold.

“I'm hoping to stay healthy and have a good training year before the games,” she said.

Pre-Games nerves

Social media can send athletes down a rabbit hole of catastrophising that they are not doing enough compared to competitors, she said.

“It’s important to think: ‘You have to stick to your plan,’” Nilsen said, adding that you have to trust your coaches and the strategy.

Already this summer, Nilsen is seeing improvements in some technical aspects of her skiing.

She contracted linear scleroderma in her left foot, leg, thigh and hip when she was a child. As a result, she has said she has issues with balance and coordination and needs to use other parts of her body to offset that.

Learning more about the human body is a post-2026 Paralympics goal. Nilsen plans to start studying to be a nurse or a sports coach.

She hopes to balance her studies with training and compete at the French Alps 2030 Paralympic Winter Games.

“I'm not done at the age of 25. That’s too early.”

But whatever happens on the Para cross-country trails next March, Nilsen is hanging out to celebrate the Paralympic Movement.

“I think the Italians are going to have a party for us,” she said.

Secure your tickets for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games  

Milano Cortina 2026, which takes place from 6-15 March 2026, is set to be the most beautiful Paralympic Winter Games yet. Ticket prices start at EUR 10 for children under 14, with approximately 89 per cent of the tickets available for EUR 35 or less.

For more information, please visit tickets.milanocortina2026.org