Discipline:
Skicross, Freestyle
Nationality:
Swedish
Club:
IFK Mora Alpina
Hometown:
Åre, Sweden
Date of birth:
March 3rd, 1996 in Stockholm
ALEXANDRA EDEBO
- PROFILE -
ABOUT
Alexandra is a professional skicross athlete from Stockholm, Sweden currently living in the ski town Åre. She competes for the ski club IFK Mora Alpina, one of the most prominent skicross clubs in the country. Alexandra has spent a lot of time in Venjan, a small village close to Mora where her maternal grandmother grew up, which is also where she learnt how to ski.
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She started skiing at a young age during holidays when the family would visit Kläppen Ski Area, where Alexandra would make life hard for her ski instructors by sneaking away and taking off on the mountain on her own.
Eventually she followed both of her sisters into ski racing. However, she was never fully hooked on alpine racing.
Once she got to try skicross during a test event in Lindvallen, she was hooked. She challenged former world cup racer Eric Iljans, who also happens to be her head coach today on the Swedish skicross team, to a race her and to not go easy on her. Said and done, he pushed her wide into one of the nets, but still loved it.
A few years later she attended a skicross and alpine skiing academy in Torsby, Sweden and started competing at an international level.
HER STORY
2003
Alexandra and her sisters loved to go skiing with their parents and spent most of their winter breaks in Venjan, Dalarna - the village where their maternal grandmother grew up - to be closer to the hills.
1996
Born March 3rd, 1996 in Stockholm, Sweden.
First time on skis, only one year old! Shredding on a pair of cross-country skis on the local sledding hill.
1997
2004
She hated ski school when she was young, since she thought it was too restricted and that everyone went too slow down the hill. So when her older sister Gabriella started alpine ski racing she did not follow in her footsteps, until...
2008
Alexandra gets to meet another of her role models; alpine skiing legend Anja Pärsson. Alexandra also participated in Anja Ski Camp in Tärnaby on several occations.
2012
She went to her first FIS Skicross race in Funäsdalen, Sweden, and ended up in 7th place.
...she realized that once her younger sister Veronica started going to alpine training, she started to catch up. Alexandra could not tolerate this and therefore, started as well. She did her first race in 2006 for Täby SLK, 10 years old.
2006
She tried out skicross for the first time thanks to a test event during a race weekend in Sälen. She got to battle her current racing coach Eric Iljans who lets her win, whereby she calls him out on it and tells him to race her for real. So he fenced her (pushed her out of the course and into the net), and she´s been hooked ever since.
2010
Alexandra gets a third place at Swedish nationals after Sandra Näslund and Erika Thunstedt in Kläppen.
2013
Alexandra skis a worldcup track for the first time, being a tester for the event in Åre, Sweden. Her current coach Michael Forslund claimed a podium during the same race.
2015
In August 2015, at age 16, Alexandra moved away from home to attend Stjerneskolan in Torsby to pursue her skiing career, the first year skicross was available at a Swedish ski academy.
2012
2000
She was heavily influenced by her role models, one of which were Astrid Lindgren´s Pippi Longstocking, famous for the mottos "I have never tried that before, so I think i definitely should be able to do it" and "if you are very strong, you must also be very kind".
Her first race, and win, at Trolle Cup in Kläppen. She was very competitive already at a young age.
2001
Growing up, she tried out a lot of different sports, including climbing, track & field, circus training, soccer, showdance, basketball, volleyball, windsurfing, longboarding, skiing and snowboarding.
2003
2013
Alexandra gets to go on her first international FIS race in Arosa, Switzerland. She ends up 11th. She also gets selected for her first Junior World Championships, and ends up with 26th place.
2014
She goes to her first Europa Cup race in Watles, Italy, together with Mikaela Thorvall and Clara Sjölund. She ends up 12th. She once again gets selected to go to the Junior World Championship, this time she scores a 10th place.
Alex claims her first Europa Cup podium in Lofsdalen, Sweden, March 2015. She also takes home a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in Valmalenco, Italy. She gets selected to the Swedish National Skicross Team after her accomplishments.
2015
She graduates from Stjerneskolan after four years of skiing and studying, earning several awards for both sports and education accomplishments.
2016
2017
After a challenging first year with the national team, Alexandra decided to quit and continue racing on her own. This was one of the toughest decisions of her life, but it was necessary since she was very unhappy in that environment and felt that she could not be herself or perform on top.
She decided that she wanted to pursue her dream on her own, and initiates a season where she would be her own coach, ski service, planner, travel agent, suit designer, and of course, athlete. She cooperates with some friends as well as the Swiss Skicross Team during the preseason.
2017
2017
Alexandra takes a 4th place in the US Grand Prix in Solitude, Utah. She was at a bit of a disadvantage not having ski service as a snow storm came in during the finals, but she made it to her first big final in a premier event.
2017
Alexandra starts in her first Worldcup race in Idre Fjäll, Sweden, the biggest and most spectacular course on the skicross circuit. She manages to qualify for both races and ends up 12th and 14th.
Alex's successes and determination catches the attention of the Swedish Olympic Committee, and she is added to its "Top and Talent Program", earning both professional and economic support. Photo: Henrik Kindgren
2017
Alexandra claims her first European Cup Victories in Ebingen, Germany, with a back-to-back wins!
2017
2018
Alexandra reconciled with the national team and joins forces once again in 2018. Photo: Ski Team Sweden Skicross
Alexandra always had a dream to go to the Olympics, but in 2018 she only got the chance to do a few Worldcups, which were the determinants for the qualification for PyeongChang, South Korea. She got the devastating news that she was not selected, and instead would have to go back to Europa Cup the remaining part of the season.
2018
2018
Alexandra manages to claim the Europa Cup Overall with 7 wins and 9 podiums out of 10 races. This gave her a guaranteed spot on the Worldcup circuit for the upcoming season.
During the preseason of 2018, Alexandra suffers from an injury; her achilles tendon gets a nasty inflammation and she can't wear ski boots, and is forced to rehab. Photo: Sophie Odelberg
2018
2018
Alexandra scores her best place in the Worldcup so far, with an 8th place in Arosa, Switzerland. Photo: FIS Freestyle
2019
She got involved in a crash in the next race in Innichen/San Candido, Italy, resulting in a fracture and bone bruise in her knee, and she was out for the rest of the season. She utilized her time in rehab and made great progress in her physical strength and grit during the time off skiing.
Alexandra gets back from her injury and claims a 5th place in the Worldcup overall, her first full year on the worldcup circuit. She had a lot of personal best results, including 4th place in Montafon, 4th place in Arosa, and two 5th places in Idre Fjäll. Photo: FIS Freestyle
2019
2020
After reaching the big final several times, she finally gets to step up on the Worldcup podium for the first time in 2020 in Megeve, France. Photo: FIS Freestyle
Alexandra is awarded RF and Svenska Spels Idrottsstipendium - a scholarship enabling her to combine her career with university studies. She studies online via Mittuniversitetet, Östersund.
2020
2020
Alex wins the summer Alpine Games, hosted by the Swedish Ski Federation. It is a mix of physical training, games and team exercises.
2020
Astonishingly, her team mate David Mobärg also manages to claim his maiden win during the same event. The Swedish successes didn't stop there however, as Viktor Andersson claimed the win day two, making it a historical race in Swedish skicross history. Photo: FIS Freestyle
In the first event of the season, Alex claims her first ever Worldcup win after a good battle with Fanny Smith in the final in Arosa, Switzerland (click on the link to see it). Photo: FIS Freestyle
2020
In the following race in Val Thorens, France, Alex is involved in a brutal crash, in which she loses her consciousness and gets a severe concussion. Her team gets her home safely and she has to rest her brain for weeks with no physical or mental activity. Photo: FIS Freestyle
2020
Having missed almost two months of races and training, Alex was cleared to go skiing just in time for the World Championships on home soil; Idre Fjäll in February 2021. Photo: Bildbyrån
2021
2021
Unfortunately, she had another crash during the race, resulting in yet another concussion, which hindered her to continue her race season. She got 8th place in her first world championship, despite the crash. Photo: Adam Karlsjö
A long and complicated concussion rehab followed, but thanks to the team, her family and Hermelinen Concussion Center, she slowly but surely came back to normal. She dedicated the time off training to her other hobbies, such as plants, guitar and creativity, as well as watching a lot of skiing.
2021
2021
Despite not having been able to train as much as she wanted and with certain restrictions, she managed to claim a 3rd place on the summer Alpine Games after talented Sara Hector and Anna Swenn-Larsson. Photo: Ski Team Sweden Skicross
Alex is now back on snow and has no restrictions from the concussion, ready to chase her olympic dream together with the team the upcoming season. Photo: Ski Team Sweden Skicross
2021
...
... to be continued.
