22-year-old Alice Pettersson, new national captain for the para national team in cross-country skiing and biathlon

In the past, names such as Daniel Rickardsson and Emil Jönsson Haag have been confederation captains for the para national team. But now 22-year-old Alice Pettersson steps into the role and is responsible for cross-country skiing and biathlon.

- There are heavy names that have been there before, and now I'm coming. Lesser known and a bit green in this world, she says with a laugh.

- I will do my best to shoulder this role, but it is special, of course. Zebastian Modin is like ten years older than me. But it still feels fun and I'm happy that the Parasport Association trusts me and thinks that this is a girl who can lead this team.

Pettersson was just about to graduate and after that start his summer job. Then she got a call, the day before graduation, and was asked to become the national team captain.

- I was headhunted. I just thought "wow, what a thing" when I was asked, it was super fun. I was truly honored.

Nor was there any doubt about the answer.

- I said yes straight away. My life motto is "no one remembers a coward", so then you have to say yes. I can't pass up a chance like this. Especially since I had nothing else planned.

- Or I had a summer job that I was kindly allowed to call and say that I need to work on something else as well.

Now awaits a first season where Alice Pettersson will learn all the logistics, competition programs and how travel should be resolved. After that, the big goal is the Paralympics in 2030.

- That is the big goal. We're starting over now after Milano Cortina, and I don't need to feel any stress because it's still a while away. I have time to get a little more routine to be able to provide good conditions for the team for the next Paralympics.

Winter sports are close to her. She herself has competed in biathlon, but as recently as March she ended her career after a few years of thinking.

- I have been thinking for a while about what I really want and what I have left to give. Because elite sport is tough, it is. You have to sacrifice a lot and I felt, now I have sacrificed what I can and want. I finished my junior year and have done a senior year, so I felt okay about ending my career now.

Pettersson points out that it was important for her to finish her career in time, before she crossed the line.

- If I had continued, I might have dug my own grave and started hating biathlon, and I don't want that. So I'm glad I finished on time. Now this job also came, so I still have to stay in it.

At university, she studied sports science with a focus on coaching and performance. And there was a reason why the choice fell on it.

- When I chose that program, I thought that in the future I would be able to give something back to biathlon, and I can do that with this job already. It feels fantastic, she says.

Read more:

Zebastian Modin makes a fresh start - switches to biathlon

Ebba Årsjö uncertain about the future: "Could quit"