In our mission to promote handball all over the Globe, we are publishing an interview with Borg sisters from USA handball team website.
In an average week, Anja and Karoline Borg play a lot of handball….Make that, a TON of handball.
Anja, the younger of the two sisters at 16 years old, logs 14 hours of training each week Monday through Friday. 10 of those hours are dedicated to handball itself while the other four are dedicated to fitness. Additionally, she plays about 1-3 games per week during season (September-May) for her club team, Vollen, as well as for her high school team.
20-year-old Karoline, who starred for the Women’s National Team as they successfully qualified for October’s Pan American Games, plays 10 very intensive hours a week with seven hours focus on handball and the other three dedicated fitness and basic training. Additionally, Karoline plays for SK Njard’s first and second (U20) teams. SK Njard’s first team stands one point away from promotion to Norway’s highest level of handball.
Of course, following along with Anja and Karoline is their father, Soren. Soren spends about 5-6 hours a week watching his daughters play handball.
USATeamHandball.org recently asked the Borg sisters about their dedicated to handball and here is what they had to say.
USATH: Do you like playing so many hours of handball?
Anja: A lot of my spare time goes to handball. But this is something I’ve chosen, because I love the sport and it’s always been a part of my life. During my «handball- life» I have experienced ups and downs and it’s important to learn to master both. In the handball milieu you get a lot of new friends and many good memories/experiences with your teammates. I also like the physical training in itself!
Karoline: Handball practice for me is like a “sanctuary” where I can leave all the stress and pressure of everyday life and instead focus on the game. I love the speed of the game and how it challenges both my mind and physical strength.
My favorite part of practice is definitely the feeling you get when you finally nail a technique, like a specific shot, that you’ve been practicing on for a long time. Also, we have a good fighting spirit on our team and we all get along great, both on and off the court. Now that we might be on our way up to the top level here in Norway we’re working extra hard in practice, preparing for our 2 last games
USATH: What are your main goals as handball players?
Anja: As a handballplayer my top goals are to play in the norwegian top league or with one of the worlds greatest teams. It would be a dream come true to be able to play for a national team in the Olympics or in the World Championship.
Karoline: One of my main goals as a handball player has always been to play in the top league in Norway, and with only 2 games to go my team will be going up to that league if we win our next one (or tie). Another big dream of mine is too participate in the Olympics – which we have a shot at now – and also the World Championships. This season (2010/2011) has been the most eventful one and I still can’t believe that my goals are within close reach.
USATH: What do you do other than handball?
Anja: In my spare time I love to hang out with my friends, some of them are handball players and some of them are not. We usually just hang, talk, shop, etc. School is also an important part of my life. I want to be able to have every option open for further studies when I’m finished with high school. One day I want to be a psychologist or have some sport related carrier.
I played soccer for 9 years, so this is also a sport that I love playing. I had to choose between the two sports 2 years ago, because doing both on a high level was impossible! I don’t regret my decision, but I admit that I miss soccer a lot in the summer.
Karoline: Besides handball I go to the University of Oslo, where I have started my 2nd semester studying science subjects. In August I’m hoping to start my degree in nutritional physiology. I also like hanging out with my friends, shopping, watching sports – and pretty much what other young people like to do really.
