Vilma Von Krusenstierna: after winning MOC she’s back for 5+5 Days Sardinia in October

An internationally known Swedish elite, Vilma is a young promising athlete who has already been part of the Swedish national team for several years. Born on September 22, 1999, she has been running for OK Kåre in Falun ever since she started orienteering at the age of five. She has an enviable and ever-growing palmares: at the European Championships in 2021 she finished 5th in the knockout and 13th in the sprint, and then two years later she won the title of Swedish sprint Champion.

This year, after her victory at the MOC Championships in Matera, Vilma decided to take on a new challenge by joining the Park World Tour Italy for its five-day event in Sardinia this October. We sat down with her to learn more about her journey – and to find out what made her choose Italy as her training ground.

Read her story and discover what drives one of Sweden’s brightest orienteering stars.

Ciao Vilma! You have been a regular at Park World Tour Italia events for a long time now. You fit in very well in the Italian context: your energy, positivity, determination and commitment make you a real star at our competitions! Besides, you always seem to have a great time. What do you like best about Italy?

Oh, that’s a tough question – because honestly, I love A LOT OF THINGS about Italy. Every time I come back home to Sweden after a Italien trip, I tell my friends and family, “Okay, time to move to Italy!”  But if I have to pick something specific, I usually say that Italy just nails all the food you want to be good at: pasta, pizza, olive oil… and pistachio gelato ;)

And then there’s the environment – it’s just amazing. All the little villages that are perfect for sprint races, the big historic cities, the areas around Lake Garda… it’s beautiful pretty much everywhere. Oh, and the weather – can’t forget that!

So I’m very much looking forward to the 5+5 days in Sardinia this autumn. 

What do you appreciate most about PWT events? What keeps you coming back year after year?

There’s just something special about PWT events that keeps me coming back. The atmosphere is always super fun and relaxed, but still competitive – which I love. It feels more like a celebration of orienteering than just a regular race.

Also, the people! Both the organizers and the athletes are so friendly and welcoming. It kind of feels like a little orienteering family that you get to hang out with in some amazing locations.

And then of course – the courses are always creative and exciting, often in places you’d never normally get to run in. Every year I leave thinking, “Yep, that was totally worth it, and for sure I will be back soon again!”

What do you expect from this week of competition/training?

I’m really looking forward to a fun week in Sardinia – it’s a completely new place for me! Both the surroundings and the quality of the training and competitions seem amazing. Hopefully, I’ll get some good speed in my legs for the races and gain new insights from both the competitions and the training sessions. It’s always a great learning experience to run in new places and in cities you’re not used to.

And of course, I’m also excited to meet people, hang out with other runners, and just enjoy being in a country I really love. So I’m hoping for a good mix of tough sessions, lots of laughs – and maybe a gelato or two along the way ;)

Tell us a little bit about yourself: how is the preparation going? How are you experiencing this stage of the season on a personal level? Are you happy with your work so far?

Right now, I actually feel pretty good – both physically and mentally. The preparations have gone well, and I’ve had a nice mix of focused training and some races earlier in the season that have given me both confidence and some helpful feedback on what I still need to work on.

This part of the season can be a bit tricky – you’re not at the beginning, but there’s still quite a way to go until the end, so there’s time to keep building. But I actually enjoy that, because it’s a great opportunity to fine-tune things, try out new stuff, and keep developing without too much pressure. 

In the past, I’ve struggled a bit with putting a lot of pressure on myself and letting the sport take up all my time – which made me lose a bit of that “regular” Vilma outside of elite sports. But I feel like I’m in a better place now. I’m clear on the choices, priorities, and the balance between life and sport that I need to feel my best.

Overall, I’m happy with the work I’ve done so far. There’s always more to improve – but that’s kind of the beauty of it – and I feel motivated and excited for what’s ahead!

What is your main goal for this season?

The main goals for this season are the European Orienteering Championships in Belgium at the end of August. I also have the World Games in China as a big goal. And then, I’m really looking forward to the final World Cup races in Switzerland – they’re going to be super exciting!

But of course, all of those events have tough selection races, so right now most of my focus is on performing well there.

What about your secret dream? Do you have a long term goal? 

My secret dream? I think it’s to one day stand on the podium at a major international championship – like the World Championships or the World Games. Not just for the medal itself, but because it would represent so many years of hard work, challenges, and personal growth.

But more than that, I also dream of being able to look back on my career and feel proud – not just of the results, but of how I did it: how I treated people, how I handled the ups and downs, and how I managed to enjoy the journey along the way, and that I always stayed true to what I believed in. Staying true to myself, having fun, and growing both as an athlete and as a person – that’s probably the biggest dream of all.

And that’s something I always say to my coach, Thomas Landqvist, who I’ve worked with for the past ten years (which is kind of crazy!). Whether I end up with a bunch of international medals or none at all, we’ll be proud of what we’ve built together – and of the fact that I’ve always had a strong focus on staying happy and healthy throughout my elite career.

Looking a bit further ahead (on the results), the biggest long-term goal right now is the World Orienteering Championships in Italy next year. It’s been a dream for a long time, and now it’s getting closer and closer – which is both exciting and a little surreal.