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SKARSTEIN Birgit
Sport Para cross-country, Rowing
NPC Norway   
GenderWomen
Age32
Place of BirthOslo, NOR
Height1.80 m
Human Interest
Impairment Information
Type of Impairment
 Spinal Cord Injuries
Origin of Impairment
 Acquired
Classification
 LW11
Further Personal Information
Residence
 Oslo, NOR
Occupation
 Athlete
Languages
 Norwegian
Higher education
 Political Science - University of Oslo: Norway
Sport Specific Information
When and where did you begin this sport?
 She began Para cross-country skiing in 2009 at age 20 in Beitostolen, Norway.
Why this sport?
 "To get back into life after injury, and to get back into nature."
Club / Team
 Christiania Roklub: Levanger, NOR
Name of coach
 Bjorn Kristiansen [national], NOR
Senior International Debut
Year
 2013
Competing for
 Norway
Tournament
 World Cup
Location
 Varese, ITA
General Interest
Hobbies
 Politics. (Athlete, 26 Feb 2018)
Hero / Idol
 Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjorgen. (Athlete, 26 Feb 2018)
Injuries
 In January 2020 she sustained a torn stomach muscle and a stress fracture in her back. (vg.no, 07 Feb 2020)

She sustained three stress fractures to her ribs in the 2015 rowing season, and required four months to recover. (aftenposten.no, 22 Jul 2016)
Sporting philosophy / motto
 "It'll work out." (Athlete, 26 Feb 2018)
Awards and honours
 She was named Female Para Athlete of the Year at the 2019 Norway Sports Gala. She also received the Honorary Prize of Egeberg, which recognises Norwegian athletes who excel in more than one sport. (aftenposten.no, 25 May 2019; innherred.no, 05 Jan 2019)

She was named flag bearer for Norway at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (pyeongchang2018.com, 09 Mar 2018)

She received the 2016 Tronder Award, which recognises outstanding achievement in Trondelag, Norway. (adressa.no, 06 Jan 2017)
Other sports
 She has represented Norway in Para rowing at international level, including at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, as well as Para cross-country skiing at the 2014 and 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. (SportsDeskOnline, 08 Apr 2020; global.toyota, 01 Jan 2020)
Ambitions
 To win a medal in rowing at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, and compete in cross-country skiing at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing. (dagbladet.no, 05 Dec 2018)
Impairment
 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)
Other information
 COMBINING ROWING AND SKIING
She has competed in both Para rowing and Para cross-country skiing at international level. She 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)

Competition Highlights (historical)
World Championships - Rowing
Rank Year Event Result
2 2013 Arms Only Single Sculls 5:18.79
1 2014 Arms Only Single Sculls 5:22.12
3 2015 Arms Only Single Sculls 5:31.94
1 2017 PR1 Single Sculls 11:14.17
1 2018 PR1 Single Sculls 10:13.63
1 2019 PR1 Single Sculls 10:18.83
Paralympic Games - Rowing
Rank Year Event Result
4 2016 Arms Only Single Sculls 5:25.04 
Paralympic Games - Para cross-country
Rank Year Event Result
12 2014 12km - Sitting 46:22.8 
Semifinals 2014 1km Sprint - Sitting 3:11.2
12 2014 5km - Sitting 19:11.7
  2018 12km - Sitting  DNF
Semifinal 2018 Sprint - Sitting 4:29.4
7 2018 5km - Sitting 19:38.6
8 2018 4 x 2.5km Relay Mixed 27:01.4
World Championships - Para cross-country
Rank Year Event Result
9 2014/2015 12km - Sitting 44:18.2
11 2014/2015 1km Sprint - Sitting  
11 2014/2015 5km - Sitting 17:39.6
5 2016/2017 1km Sprint - Sitting  
5 2016/2017 4 x 2.5km Relay Mixed 29:17.0
2 2016/2017 12km - Sitting 36:51.7
3 2016/2017 5km - Sitting 14:42.4
3 2018/2019 5km - Sitting 18:02.6
4 2018/2019 Sprint - Sitting  
3 2018/2019 12km - Sitting 46:37.5