It’s been three years since Helene Marie Fossesholm last entered Tour de Ski. That time, she didn’t even make it through the race week.
“I’m stoked to be back at the Tour de Ski. I love racing! I’ve only tried the Tour once before, and that was a disaster. So, I am beyond ready to make up for that,” says the 23-year-old Norwegian, heading into the brutal stage race.
The fact that Fosssesholm is now on the Tour de Ski team, is no less than a small miracle.
Tour de Ski 2025 consists of seven races in nine days, where the first four are in Toblach (ITA) and the last three in Val di Fiemme (ITA) with the last stage being the infamous Final Climb, aka “monster hill,” up Alpe Cermis. The first stage is on Saturday, December 28, and the last on Sunday, January 5.
The wildest comeback
For Fossesholm, the road to the 2025 Tour de Ski has been bumpy.
The talent, who was only 18 years old when she was named to the Norwegian elite team, was cut from the team in April after three years of struggles and sub-par performances.
She rolled up her sleeves, put together her own support team and went to work. From July to mid-August, she had been on the podium more times than in the last three seasons combined.
Then, the first week of September, Fossesholm sustained a major knee injury that threatened to sideline her for the entire season before it had even begun. However, since she managed to avoid surgery, she was back on snow only eight weeks later, winning races at the end of November, posting top-10 results on the World Cup in December and still chasing the World Championships.
A golden ticket on the road to the World Championships
For Fossesholm, who is chasing a spot on the squad to the 2025 FIS World Championships in Trondheim (NOR) from outside the Norwegian national team, Tour de Ski is more than a challenging stage race.
The race series is a golden opportunity to race seven World Cup events in a short period. World Cup results are the most important factor in qualifying for the team to the World Championships.
“I take it one race at a time. But my dream goal of racing at the World Championships is definitely alive and well,” says the 23-year-old.
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Photo by: Henning Wiig
The road to hell and back
Fossesholm’s first season at the highest level was a series of successes, with strong World Cup performances, a World Championship relay gold, and top-10 individual finishes at the World Championships in Oberstdorf in 2021. Everything seemed set for a great first Olympics.
But things didn’t go as planned. During her preparation for the 2022 Olympic season, she hit a major setback. She left the Olympics early, didn’t race again that season, and took several months off from training.
Since then, she’s struggled to find her form, and last season wasn’t much better. She barely raced in the World Cup and didn’t qualify for the 2023 World Championships in Planica. And in April, 2024, she was cut from the team.
For Fossesholm, it wasn’t a failure but a golden opportunity to restart. She spent the winter break thinking things over and rediscovering her joy and passion.
Three years of struggle is a long time. How did you handle it?
“Luckily, I didn’t know how long it would take. That was an advantage. If someone had told me, ‘Helene, this will take three years,’ it would have been harder. I knew it would take time, but three years is a long time.”
Fossesholm admits it’s been a test of patience, but she was determined not to rush things.
“I’ve taken my time. Even though I’ve had moments of doubt, deep down I believed that one day things would click. If I train smart and stay consistent, I’ll ski fast again.”
A Clear Plan and Perspective
Outside the national team, Fossesholm has total freedom to build her own support team, with Madshus as the backbone on the equipment side.
“I have amazing skis! I know how hard those guys work. So, for me to be able to just show up at the Madshus wax cabin, grab two pairs, test and head off to the starting line, it’s such a luxury. You need to have the best gear to be in the mix at this level, and I don’t ever have to worry about that,” she says.
On the athletic side, Fossesholm now has her dad as her coach, just as he’s been her whole life.
“My dad and I are a ‘dream team.’ He’s been my coach since I was little, in handball, soccer, skiing, and cycling. He knows me and my body well, and he knows what works for me.”
Together, they’ve made a plan for the season: less volume, more intense training, and more rest. Four months later, she’s already seeing results.
“I think it’s working well right now. It’s still summer, but I feel like I’m in a completely different place than last year. I’ve trained less, but I’ve focused on quality sessions and making sure I have enough energy. That’s something I need.”
She’s also had to work on her mindset, realizing she can’t start exactly where she left off.
“I have to be satisfied with the training I’m doing. If I keep thinking about what I wish I could do, it’ll just bring me down. I focus on having a plan but staying open to adjusting it. I’ve made my mistakes, so I’m trying to be smart and hold back that ‘crazy’ side of me.”
What are you doing differently now?
“I’m not training that much differently, but I’ve gone back to basics. We focus on training well and in smart amounts,” Fossesholm explains.
“I’ve noticed I respond well to intense sessions, and it’s important to have good intense sessions. If you don’t, you lose control. So, I’m doing quality sessions with a mix of really hard ones and more controlled ones. But it’s important not to overdo anything.”
Photo by: Claes-Tommy Herland