Around 4 years ago it struck me that I was tired of being the nations no2 squash player, a status that had stuck with me for a longer period of time. The problem was that I was in this period also happy with it, as I did better than I expected up until this point. I regularly played finals in the Norwegian cup, but never seemed to pull through and win. The no1 at the time was Kristian Solhaug from the same club as me in Stavanger, Norway.
It all turned before one of the bigger norwegian cup tournaments (NC) where a reporter called me and asked for my prediction in the final the next day (I was playing Kristian). I told her straight out, in the same cocky manner as Kristian would have said it: "Me". Easy as that. I needed to believe it myself before actually doing it. The final the next day went to 5 games and I believe I was 6-10 down or so in the decider. I managed to pull back point after point and in the end I think I won 13-11. It was a great win for me, underlined by the many positive messages from near and far in the coming days.
This result did not mean that I was the new no1 player in the nation. But I had the confidence now to know that I could beat them all. I lost a few finals after this, and won a few.
The Norwegian Nationals this season was held in our home club in Stavanger. It houses 8 wooden wall courts and has produced most of Norways squash champions throughout the days. I remember having a tough 3-1 win over Patrick Hansen in the quarters that took a lot out of me. In the semis I played national team player Ronny Aasbø, winning 3-0, but mentally tough as he had a big crowd behind him.
In the finals they displayed the filmed finale on court 1, while there was a packed crowd behind court 8, where we were playing. I remember a lot of support for Kristian (as it is his hometown), but one of my best buds Linn showed up w the Killingberg flag after having lunch with me before to calm my nerves. That was very much appreciated :)
I recall being very nervous from the start, and even at 1-1 in the first game, I got a bad call against me, and I was screaming. Kristian screamed back so i think he was a bit tense too. He had lost the last 2 national champ finals, so he was hungry as ever for the gold. I won the first Game on what Kristian called "lucky", the following game I must have lost. I remember seeing our team mate Ronny going to coach Kristian and my other team mate Thomas coaching me eventually. The following 2 games were split. I won the 3d game 11-3 or something, and after a total meltdown in the 4th I lost it with the same cifers. After that game I felt t.o.t.a.l.l.y. f***d. I was so tired, dizzy and though this was it for me. Thomas told me:"Just play lengths and you will win, just play your lengths, thats where you're winning" Sure, might as well i thought. "He is more tired than you" Thomas said. That was hard to believe, but after a few rallies just that was exposed, as Kristian had no juice left in the old juice box. I ran away with the game in some tense moments, before feeling the greatest joy and relief I had felt for a....ever.
After I was speechless with grave stomach pain and tired mentally and physically like no time before, cramping front, back over and under, I could celebrate my first Kings trophy, which is the greatest honor in Norwegian sports
