Engaged Over 170,000: – I Just Can’t Say No

The public health initiative AktiVM has included the entire population fostered new friendships, and engaged over 170,000 people in the lead-up to the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.

– I just can’t say no, says passionate volunteer Bjørn Krokdal.

Since being appointed chairman of his local orienteering club at 16, the now 80-year-old has never been able to turn down a request to contribute to volunteer work for better public health.

– I’m passionate about getting people out into nature.

– The joy it brings others makes me even happier, he continues.

Activating Over 170,000 on the Road to the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships

As Trondheim 2025 prepares for the Nordic World Ski Championships, Krokdal is one of several local driving forces behind AktiVM, a public health initiative.

– Since AktiVM launched in January 2023, our goal has been to create a championship with a lasting public health legacy. The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships should be more than just twelve days of ski races, says AktiVM project manager Hilde Martinsen.

AktiVM has engaged and included people across all demographics, both leading up to and during the event, through physical and social activities centered around five key initiatives:

• World Ski Championships Trails
• Children’s Mini-VM
• World Ski Championships Knitting
• Early Birds (March 7 at 6:30 AM at Medal Plaza)
• Meaningful Activities with Livsglede for Eldre

The goal is to create meaningful activities for all age groups to countermeasure the increasing physical inactivity in Norway.

– We have partnered with municipalities to launch these initiatives and strengthen local communities. It’s crucial to engage people in creating good social meeting places that promote physical and social activity—especially to maintain the legacy of the Trondheim 2025 championship, says Martinsen.

The project is based on the ABC model—a knowledge-based tool promoting mental well-being and quality of life through:

• Act. Do something active.
• Belong. Do something together.
• Commit. Do something meaningful.

As part of the initiative, 50 World Ski Championships trails have been established, each with unique distances and difficulty levels. These trails will remain long after the championships, providing accessible outdoor experiences for all. The goal is to encourage people to explore nature together while discovering new regional hiking destinations.

During the ten competition days of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, each day is linked to a sustainability theme, emphasizing the power of people to drive change. March 7 is dedicated to activity.

– The VM Trails Have Been a Huge Success

80-year-old Krokdal, who will serve as an area leader for the children’s and family zone in SpareBank 1 SMN Camp Litjåsen, has played a key role in developing and maintaining the first World Ski Championships trails.

– The trails have been an enormous success, Krokdal says proudly.

– For me, spending time in the forest has always been important. It has kept me in good health. There’s something special about sitting in the woods with coffee and pastries, just listening to the silence. I want more people to experience that, he adds.

With over 170,000 people across Norway engaged, AktiVM has successfully fostered new meeting places and community connections on the road to the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim.

– Important for Mental Health

Fingers dance. The sound of cheerful chatter fills the room. Laughter comes easily.

At the monthly knitting cafés, knitting ambassador Tove Solvang Rian is a familiar face.

She has been knitting all her life and has always been active in local crafts groups. But when she moved to Trondheim in the spring of 2023, she found herself without the community she loved.

– The knitting cafés have helped me form new friendships, says Rian.

Through these events, she has reconnected with the vibrant craft scene in Trondheim.

She was even honored to design the official Trondheim 2025 mitten pattern—a unique, hand-knitted pair of mittens given to each athlete, warming their hearts and hands.

– AktiVM has been a gateway to meeting like-minded people in Trondheim. Preserving craftsmanship and quality is essential, and this knitting project makes it feel meaningful.

Project manager Martinsen says creating spaces where participants can form new relationships and be part of something bigger has been a key priority.

Rian is also active in the online community “VM Strikk Trondheim 2025″, where over 10,000 members from Norway share knitting patterns, experiences, and advice.

– A social community like this is so crucial for us. We get to know new people and look forward to meeting at the knitting cafés. It’s essential for our mental well-being, she concludes.