SKARSTEIN Birgit Lovise Roekkum

Classification
PR1 (worldrowing.com, 01 Jun 2021)

Type of Impairment
Spinal Cord Injuries (Athlete, 26 Feb 2018)

Origin of Impairment
Acquired (Athlete, 26 Feb 2018)

Impairment Details
In 2008 she sustained serious injuries to her left leg in a swimming accident in Malaysia. She jumped into the water from a jetty, but had not checked the water depth and hit the bottom. She had 16 operations, having also contracted a bacterial infection. In September 2009, in the last of those 16 operations in Norway, she received an epidural anaesthesia but it was incorrectly administered and she never regained the feeling in her legs. (adressa.no, 20 Dec 2016; vg.no, 16 Aug 2015; skiforbundet.no, Dec 2014; kk.no, Mar 2014; vg.no, 27 Jan 2012)

General
COMBINING ROWING AND SKIING
She has competed in both Para rowing and Para cross-country skiing at international level. She began Para cross-country skiing in 2009 at age 20 in Beitostolen, Norway, and says combining both sports has been beneficial for her athleticism. "Rowing is my number one priority. I train and compete in skiing to become a better rower and find this to be a great combination. Changing around sports and movements makes me able to train better, to train more, and to lower the risk of injuries. Rowing does make me a better skier as it gives me strength and endurance as well as a competitive mindset. Skiing gives me the hours and hours I need as base training. Changing environments and movements keeps me sharp and hungry, and I can pick up the best parts from both environments." (worldrowing.com, 01 Nov 2019)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
She has served on the finance committee for the Oslo City Council in Norway, and has also served on the Norwegian Advisory Board of Biotechnology. (worldrowing.com, 01 Nov 2019; Athlete, 26 Feb 2018)

DANCING WITH THE STARS
In 2020 she became the first wheelchair dancer to feature on Norwegian celebrity talent show 'Shall We Dance'. She made the decision to take part in the programme following the postponement of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, and finished in sixth place. "I like the show because it's so demanding. It's really difficult and the fact that no one's ever done it in a wheelchair in Norway, it means that we can break some new ground. It's cross-training at a whole new level. It surprised me that no matter how many boundaries we broke, or how many crazy impossible things we managed to nail, there was always some people not believing in us and saying I shouldn't be there. Sometimes it felt like it was us against the world and it brought us into a mission that was bigger than us, the mission of communicating that dance is for everyone and we are a part of this world just as much as you are." (paralympic.org, 22 Aug 2020)