Karen Skålvoll has set many "hairy goals" for 2016, and it all ends with her running with Alpha Warriors and IAACT (I Am Adaptive Compete Team) during the Oslo Marathon in September. She will run 3 km, 10 for Grete and finish with a half marathon. Before that she will participate in powerlifting in Bergen, Worlds Strongest Disabled man in England, cycling in St.Tropez, triathlon sprint in Germany and Spartan sprint in the Czech Republic. When you know what challenges Karen has in everyday life, - it shows what incredible courage is behind the motivation for a triple Oslo Marathon registration .

Karen has been active all her life. First swimming and horseback riding, later running and weights. As a young woman, she dreamed of swimming in the Olympics, before a new dream appeared and she started training for the NY Marathon. Karen trained between 21-28 hours a week, she loved to be on the move and the training gave an extra kick. Her personal record in the marathon was just over 3 hours, but when she was to run the Oslo Marathon in 2009, as a boost to the NY marathon goal in 2010, her body did not want more. The body collapsed and Karen was banned from starting all physical activity.

The first symptoms that things were not quite as they should be came in the 20s, and Karen was eventually diagnosed with asthma. In 2011, she was diagnosed with Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (A1AT), a hereditary genetic defect that causes a low level of A1AT in the blood. Symptoms are similar to COPD and asthma, and those affected struggle with difficulty breathing on exertion, while they easily get tired and tired due to. impaired oxygen uptake into the lungs.

In many ways, the pieces fell into place, and that could explain a lot about the problems she had struggled with. At the same time, it was a confirmation that she was very ill - "it was like receiving a death sentence as a gift of 40 years", she describes.

Today Karen lives in Germany where she receives good follow-up and necessary medication. With the good help of the international alpha-1 family, she has learned to live with the disease and the oxygen machines she carries with her in everyday life. But Karen is today most concerned with giving back. She became a voice for alpha-1 in 2013, and she and her husband have established "Alpha Warriors" who participated with a large team in the distance "3 for all" during the Oslo Marathon in 2015. One of the most important things they do is collect. money, and the funds are specifically aimed at children, and the fact that children affected by alpha-1 will have more opportunities through access to necessary medicines and cures. They participate in various events, always wearing their own t-shirts that are sold for income for the alpha 1 case. Karen is a great inspiration and a role model for many all over the world.

The e-mail Karen received this autumn from "I AM adaptive", she was not prepared for. An American non-profit organization that works to remove stigmas about being disabled, had chosen her as a practitioner in its "I am Adaptive Compete team". The team makes her a sponsored athlete, who will compete in powerlifting and OCR (obstacle cource running). "I AM adaptive" gives practitioners the opportunity to tell their story, learn, socialize and mobilize the adaptive environment. The goal and vision of the organization is to create an inclusive world where adaptive people can participate on an equal footing with people without adaptations. - "this is a dream come true, and a great joy to be able to show the way". Karen will show the world that adaptive can and will, and she is grateful that she is allowed to appear as a representative of this organization.

The Oslo Marathon has been an important milestone for Karen after the illness occurred. With the low-threshold offer "3 for all", she was able to participate for the first time in 2013 after a proven illness. In 2015, she participated in both «3 for all» on Friday and «10 for Grete» on Saturday.

Karen stood with 9 others from "Alpha Warrors" on the starting line in OM. - "It was so fantastic" she says about running, and the feeling of reaching the finish line in 10 km is mainly described with "Gratitude". All cheers from the audience, support from friends and acquaintances are important along the way. - «Running or walking 3 km is for many a whole marathon in performance and achievement. In my eyes, this is the most inclusive race I know of! ”, Says Karen.

She concludes by talking about the goals for 2016, and it is not uncommon for Karen to qualify for:

• NM veteran in powerlifting
• Thougest in Copenhagen,
• Proud up
• Double Spartan Trifecta (involves completing one of each of the Spartan distances: Sprint 5 km, Super 10 km and Beast 20 km, within one year)
• Reach the top of the Hocheck (Watzman massif in Germany)
• Participate in 3 km, 10 km and 21 km in OM 2016
• Qualify for the OCR WC, the world championship in OCR in 2017

Karen does this to stay active and set new goals. - "I refuse to let alpha-1 win". By setting new goals, I shift my focus, and finally point out "Nothing is impossible".

You will meet Karen on a regular basis here at the Oslo Marathon. Here she will share her journey, with ups and downs, until this year's event in 2016.

More about Karen's story and "I am adaptive" can be found here.

Read more about Alpha Warriors here.

Instagram @ alpha_1_athlete