RISSVEDS Jenny

General
TOUGH TIMES
She became Olympic champion at age 22, securing gold in the cross-country event at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. However, the following year a family bereavement triggered a period of depression, which was worsened by the pressure of competing and in turn led to an eating disorder. She took a year away from the sport before returning in July 2018, although she admitted in August 2019 that she continued to struggle with some of the issues she had been facing. "Since I decided to come back to cycling, a little more than a year ago, I've been struggling with my self-confidence. During the last six months I've had serious doubts about coming back to the same psychological and physical level as I have experienced in the past. I fought down my own demons and I can't even describe the feeling of winning that fight. I'm pretty sure though, it wasn't the last fight as the inner demons seem to visit all of us now and then. Never let them win. From now on I know it is worth it. All of it." (olympicchannel.com, 17 May 2020; uci.org, 13 Aug 2019)

TEAM31
In early 2019 she set up 'Team31', a mountain bike team named after the 31st article of the United Nations 'Convention on the Rights of the Child'. Among other things, she hopes to encourage young people to be a good friend to their peers, try new sports and activities, and stay away from tobacco, drugs, and alcohol. "Our main focus on the team is to inspire and preserve the children's right to play, to be active, and to recover." (olympicchannel.com, 17 May 2020; uci.org, 13 Aug 2019)

She became the first athlete representing Sweden to win an Olympic medal in mountain bike when she claimed gold at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. At age 22 years and 75 days when she won gold, it also made her the youngest female mountain bike rider to win Olympic gold in the sport. (SportsDeskOnline, 11 Aug 2020; olympicchannel.com, 17 May 2020)