DistantNews
Support us
🇳🇴 Norway /Sports

The Stars Made the Same Move: “I Don’t Like Selling Myself”

From Aftenposten · () Norwegian

Translated from Norwegian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Norwegian athletes Narve Gilje Nordås, Marie-Therese Obst and Sturla Holm Lægreid have all left social media because of pressure, harassment or discomfort with self-promotion.
  • Sponsorship analyst Vegard Arntzen estimates that abandoning social media can cost an athlete several hundred thousand kroner a year.
  • Nordås says he may seek a compromise through occasional YouTube videos without exposure to comments and direct messages.

Three Norwegian elite athletes have chosen to disappear from social media, even though sponsors are unlikely to celebrate the decision. Middle-distance runner Narve Gilje Nordås, javelin thrower Marie-Therese Obst and biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid have all deleted their accounts.

It is like getting a fist in the stomach. Whether you want it or not, you are exposed to it. There are many reprehensible attitudes out there. People are a little ruthless, to put it that way.

· Narve Gilje NordåsHe describes harassment in comment sections and private messages.

Nordås describes online abuse as “like getting a fist in the stomach.” Obst says that female athletes can face pressure to show more skin and wear something different to gain followers and likes, a demand she cannot accept. Lægreid puts the choice more simply: “I’m not someone who likes selling myself.”

Nordås deleted Facebook after the Bislett Games in June and later deactivated Instagram. He says he does not miss the platforms. Scrolling and the pressure to post created anxiety and harmed his sleep, while the need for inner calm is important for recovery. He also says people can forget that the person receiving comments and messages has feelings, and that the effects can reach both physical and mental well-being.

For me as a female athlete, it also means that I have to show more skin and wear something else to get followers and likes. I cannot live with that.

· Marie-Therese ObstShe explains why she rejects the pressure surrounding visibility on social media.

The withdrawal has a financial cost. Vegard Arntzen of Sponsor Insight says it can amount to several hundred thousand kroner per year. Sponsors expect visibility in return for their money, and followers also expect some access to an athlete’s life and background.

I’m not someone who likes selling myself. My life is not biathlon star Sturla’s life. I am myself.

· Sturla Holm LægreidHe explains his discomfort with self-promotion and comparison with other athletes.

Nordås is considering a middle ground: a YouTube channel where he could publish occasionally without exposing himself to comment sections, messages and the wider pressure of constant online presence. Arntzen says that, in 2026, an athlete generally cannot reject social media without reducing market value. If two athletes are otherwise equal, he says, a sponsor will often prefer the one who can also generate attention through personal channels.

I don’t miss it. It is a time sink, and it gave me anxiety and restlessness.

· Narve Gilje NordåsHe discusses his decision to leave Facebook and Instagram.
About this summary

Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog