Helle Sofie dreams big ahead of Paris 2024
The Paris Paralympic Games are less than one year away, and JYSK has met with one of the athletes training for the games. Norwegian badminton player Helle Sofie Sagøy is ranked number one in the world.
Norwegian Para-badminton athlete Helle Sofie Sagøy is competing in different world tournaments to qualify for the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024.
“I have played seven tournaments so far, and the journey has been fantastic. The performances in the various tournaments are so good that I feel that Paris has never been closer,” says Helle Sofie.
In the first tournaments in Spain, she won both gold and bronze, in Thailand and Bahrain she came third, in England she won gold again and she became European Champion in Rotterdam. Her last tournament was in Australia where she came third. At the moment, she is number one in the world rankings.
Jysk and parasports
JYSK is main sponsor of Parasport associations in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Romania while also supporting the National Paralympic Committees in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Sweden.
In Norway, JYSK has been the main sponsor since 2004. Every year, JYSK awards scholarships to para-athletes who excel in their sport. Towards the Paralympics 2024, Helle Sofie Sagøy, Nora Korneliussen and Vegard Sverd Dragsund will be supported by JYSK.
A new leg
The 25-year-old athlete is born with dysmelia and missing part of her leg. She uses a leg prosthesis to be able to move. These days she is testing a new leg prosthesis.
“As an athlete, everyday life, and the time ahead of Paralympics, is very exciting. I'm in a good flow, and I'm having a great time here at home. The new sports prosthesis looks very promising, and I have already had a couple of good weeks of training with it in use,” she says.
Helle Sofie has several achievements and World Cup medals behind her, and during the previous Paralympics in Tokyo she reached the semi-finals.
In February 2024, she plans to participate in the world championship in Thailand, and she will play various tournaments before Paris to maintain her actual ranking as number one in the world.
Scholarship from JYSK
In 2023, Helle Sofie was nominated for "Female para-athlete of the year" during “Idrettsgalla 2023” in Norway. The Sports Gala honors the past year's Norwegian sports and athletes' achievements and will be held again 6 January 2024. She has received a scholarship from JYSK since 2021 and will receive further support until 2024.
“Thanks to JYSK for the support, without you it would not have been possible to live my dream. Ahead of me there is a good training period with a small Christmas celebration in between before the run-up to the World Cup in Thailand, which I am very much looking forward to,” she says.
