You have started a new Facebook project. What is it about?

– I have the honor to blog for Armwrestlers Only, and am also one of the administrators of Armwrestlers Only´s Facebook page. I want to make female armwrestling bigger, so I will blog about women in the sport and share clips of women armwrestling. If we want the sport to be bigger and to have more women in the sport, we have to show it more. For me as a woman, I want to watch females armwrestle to be able to compare myself with them. I am super happy that I have gotten this chance!

 Why is women’s armwrestling in Sweden as big as the men’s? Is there a secret?

– We are not as big as the men, if you compare the number of women v/s men who armwrestle. But we are close. We have great clubs in Sweden, who are all very welcoming and who recruit women and, of course, men, kids, masters and so on.

It’s easy for a woman to start armwrestling and get good sparring partners to get better and better, it’s not anymore just a “men’s sport” in Sweden, like when me, Heidi and Fia started in the beginning of the 90´s. Back then it was usually only one or two weight classes, there were not many women competing. From the beginning it was the men in the clubs that stepped aside and let us girls take place at the practices and encouraged us to continue and to be better. That let us be a part of that men’s sport as it was back then. And then it just grew. When it grew it was easier to get women into the sport. We were the examples for others and we could contribute to the whole sport by making the women’s armwrestling bigger. 

I see the same problem that we had back in the 90´s today in some other countries. But take Sweden as a good model, and make the sport bigger for us women.

What is the main motivation for a woman to arm wrestle?

– I don’t think the woman’s motivation differs from a man’s one. If you have strong arms, like to compete and feel the adrenaline boosting your body, this sport is for you.

What I also find so wonderful in armwrestling is that you feel like you are in a big family. Where ever you go, you always get invited to armwrestling clubs to come and train or hang out, such a great hospitality.

What do you think should be improved in today armwrestling to get more women into it?

– I think the answer is different due to what country you live in. Get youths in to the sport, both girls and boys. If it is not that big in your country then start with recruiting women and encourage them to come to practices and to start to compete. Go to youth clubs and schools and show armwrestling. Make it your goal to make the women sport grow and it will.

What is armwrestling for you?

– That’s a big question :D For me armwrestling is more than just my sport. It’s my lifestyle, where I have my armwrestling family and my friends. I started at time when I was not so happy about life, I was a teenager, and you could say that armwrestling helped me to choose the right path in life. Armwrestling is my true love! ;)

 What are your favorite tournaments and why?

– It’s hard to speak about all of them but 100% it’s the Zloty Tur World Cup. This year I attended Zloty Tur for the first time ever. I loved the atmosphere there, and it felt so much more “familiar” than at the World- and European championships. I met a lot of good friends, and I had a blast both at the table and off the table.