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For many years he was a well-known cross-country skier. You are now profiled in a completely different field.
In 2020, a record number of people have been laid off and much of the business community is facing a major restructuring in which many employees have to find new career paths. In this series of articles, Nettavisen focuses on profiled people who may find something completely different to do.
TRONDHEIM (Nettavisen Økonomi / Nidaros): – This is the child’s dream. Now you have the opportunity. But Dario Cologna runs off. Eldar Rønning is returning, you are trained for Vasaloppet, it is nine miles, then you must be able to fight.
Commentators scream before the Skogn ski star in Trøndelag turns into a diagonal walk and accelerates the Swiss racer.
– He wins! Eldar Rønning is the king of five miles in Kollen today!
The victory in the 50-kilometer classic at the Holmenkollen World Cup in 2012 stands as one of the highlights of his career.
For 14 years he was on the national cross-country ski team, but many illnesses led him to have to gamble on his own in his final year as an elite athlete. In the spring of 2016, he had to resign.
Fortunately, he had a plan B. He had already established a foothold at Sparebank 1 SMN in Trondheim, and was in full swing with his financial education.
– Sparebank 1 was a sponsor when I was part of the national team, and I was proactive and contacted to find out if I could get a trainee position while I was still active, says Rønning.
Watch the video interview at the top of the case, where he talks about the transition from higher sports life.
And there it has been. He started in 2013 as a temporary employee, before being authorized as a financial advisor, and since January 2019 he is a personal economist for Sparebank 1 SMN.
Now he is the face of the bank to the outside world and will communicate to people important and current issues about personal finance, with advice on how Norwegians can get better finances.
Also read: Stine Lise Hattestad made history during the Lillehammer Olympics. Then his career took a whole new direction
From World Cup gold to the end of his career
Rønning can remember a long and good run on the ski slope.
– If I have to highlight two highlights, it’s the relay gold during the World Cup in Oslo in 2011 and the five-mile gold at Holmenkollen in Oslo the following year, he says.
But the four relay gold medals he has participated in at the World Cup are high for the former cross-country skier. He was also involved in obtaining the gold in 4 x 10 kilometers not only in Oslo, but also in Sapporo in 2007, Libec in 2009 and Val di Fiemme in 2013.
The silver he got in the 15-kilometer classic during the Oslo World Cup is also something he remembers with a smile.
In 2015, he was awarded the Holmenkoll Medal, for being a good and worthy representative of cross-country sports. The Holmenkoll medal is the highest award in Norwegian skiing and “is awarded to active skiers with outstanding achievements over several years, especially in Holmenkoll races”, according to Store norske leksikon.
It looks like it was big.
– It was very surprising and great. I’d had a shitty season and got that award after five miles at Kollen. It was a lot of fun being appreciated that way, says Rønning.
Also read: How Much Should You Earn: Here is the Average Salary in 300 Occupations
I had to give up
However, he did not compete in skiing as long as he wanted. The dream and goal was the Pyeongchang Olympic Games in 2018. But in the fall of 2014, Rønning fell ill, but because she wanted to perform well during the Falun World Cup in 2015, she tried too hard. It did not get better after this.
– I probably didn’t realize then that my career was successful, after my best training in summer and fall. In retrospect, I could probably extend my career if I took into account that I was ill, he says.
In the spring of 2015, he did not gain new confidence in the national team, but he wanted to fight back on the court. Together with friends from Team United Bakeries, he started training hard. But one day he said stop.
– Then I started to realize. He had chest pain, a lot of headaches and was not in top shape. Then doctors discovered he had kidney inflammation, and then it was time to put the skis on the shelf, says Rønning, who had not participated in any races in the 2015/2016 season.
He still has kidney inflammation and must take medicine for life. However, now there is nothing to bother you in daily life. But having to resign as an elite athlete and give up the dream was not easy.
– It’s a bit bitter, but I had a family, three children and I got a job. Anyway, it was a decent transition.
Also read: Eight tips on how to get a higher salary when you change jobs (+)
New passion in life
Having something to go to after his career was very important to him. He really felt the importance of feeling useful.
– The time when I was very sick, but still dreamed of continuing to ski, I used to sit at home a lot. I was a bit depressed, felt like I wasn’t helpful, and felt a bit like a failure at the time, Rønning says.
However, he took it on himself, and after his ski career ended, he has gone full throttle with a focus on finances.
– It is important to find something that interests you. I think those around me notice that I have a passion for banking and finance, but it should probably be done well to have the same passion for finance that I had for cross-country skiing, he says.
He says he talks a lot about personal finance with his friends and explains some of the reasons why he is so interested in spreading good information about it.
– We observe customer behavior that putting corrosion in the industry and having structure and control over one’s finances is important for people’s quality of life, says Rønning.
He’s always been interested in personal finance, and it all started when he was a kid and saved the money he made and eventually when he got his first job and earned his own money.
Learned from sport
However, he has learned a lot from sports, which he brings with him in his banking work.
– The most important thing I have with me is cooperation and collaboration, says Rønning.
He explains that seeking lessons from experienced people, and being curious and willing to learn, is something he thinks is wise when you want to be good at a new job.
– People have different abilities and you can’t know everything about everything. As in the national team, in working life you should also use the strengths of others to improve, he says.
Also read: Don’t make these CV mistakes (+)
At the same time, being structured and results-oriented, as he was as an elite athlete, has been important when he changed direction.
– As financial advisers, you are measured by what you do. It’s something I like: being measured, competing and trying to do the best job possible, he says.
– I am used to planning the work I will do, being hard-working and ambitious, says Rønning.
The transition from being good at what you do full time to having to learn everything in a new job isn’t just easy.
– I felt like I started over. However, I was well received and felt that it was a bit like being on the national team.
– You must have an open mind
Something that he has seen to be important when changing careers is being open to opportunities that arise.
– You must be proactive and open-minded. Athletes should, for example, have a plan for what they do when they post, talk to people, and orient themselves toward relationships. Suddenly an opportunity arises that you want to seize, but follow your dream, says Rønning.
Work is a very important part of everyday life, and for Rønning it is at least crucial that he thrive and think that what he does is fun.
Also read: Futuristic Martin Ford: – We are facing a great shock in working life
– What you do now is what you are going to do for the rest of your life?
– For now, I think so. But if the opportunity arises to coach the best athletes in 10 to 15 years, then maybe it could be something to consider, Rønning says.
– I’m still involved in sports and I need 10-11 year olds for both skiing and football, he says.
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