One year ago, Gabriella went on heart medication, had a troubled life and smoked 40 cigarettes a day. On September 17, 2016, she started her very first marathon and finished! Gabriella started running 10 months ago and believes that running has saved her life. Now Gabriella is ready to become Norway's roughest marathon runner with one arm.
'I've had a troubled life. Lost one arm in an accident and struggled a lot with post-traumatic stress. When I found the run, I felt free and happy, and it has given me so much! Now see very clearly how important running has been for me, and not least that it gives me a content in life that is so positive! " tells Gabriella.
The 28-year-old from Halden with the heart belonging to the mountains in Folldal, has always been an active and impulsive lady who loves nature. She has tried a lot, including ice climbing and climbed Norway's highest mountain peak, Galdhøpiggen. But it was the running that took Gabriella and that she really got a taste of. She set a goal 7 months ago to participate in the BMW Oslo Marathon. This meant that she had to get rid of old habits. "If I wanted to run, I could not smoke or take pills. This was a great health benefit for me, and I was finally able to stop taking blood pressure medication, "says Gabriella.
Physical exercise has kept Gabriella up lately. The motivation to manage 1 km longer, set goals and manage to reach the dream became stronger and closer. She met a lot of opposition on the way to her very first marathon. Due to the fact that she lost one of her arms, she had challenges with incorrect loading when running. People around her said she was not going to make it. But with a lot of training and a visit to a physiotherapist, Gabriella reached her goal and completed the BMW Oslo Marathon, 42 km.
"After I started running and reached my goal, I have gained steel faith in myself, both physically and mentally. Now I dare to have faith in myself again and I dare to set new, challenging goals "says Gabriella.
The 28-year-old trained for a marathon in just 10 months. During the race she got lots of boost and wow experience. "I do not remember the first two miles. Was so incredibly gira! ” she says. Now Gabriella is going through a major operation on her leg, but she is not putting the run on the shelf. For 2017, she has set a new goal of completing the BMW Oslo Marathon in 4 hours and 20 minutes!
"Now I'm a marathon runner, not one with post-traumatic stress," Gabriella concludes.