The Paralympic star had another successful Paralympics last winter. Ebba Årsjö was dominant and took home a total of four medals, three of them gold, in Cortina.
But she did it in pain. It hurt so much that she could no longer ski as she wanted. Årsjö says she felt exhausted and tired for a long time.
I've been clear that I can't do any more races. I'm ashamed to say that, but I have to do it. I felt like I couldn't do it anymore.
“It feels good”
Over the years, Årsjö has been clear that she cannot - or does not want to - continue alpine skiing for much longer. The 25-year-old was born with Klippel-Trénaunay syndrome, which means that her right leg has not been able to develop muscles to the same extent as her left leg.
Therefore, she will undergo keyhole surgery in the hope that things will eventually get better.
If I respond really badly to it, get an infection or something like that, we'll have to stop it.
How does it feel?
It feels good, it's a must. We've done everything we could before. We've given up on competitions like "Ebba doesn't go there" or "someone has to carry Ebba's stuff". It's already very well adapted, what needs to be done now is in a hospital.
Operation priority one
Ebba Årsjö doesn't even want to talk about the fact that the surgery could affect the competition season.
There are so many questions I can't answer. I have no idea how long the recovery will be. But what I do know is that this surgery is priority one. There will be no skiing if I don't do this. I can't live the way I want otherwise.
Will you end your career if the surgery doesn't give you the results you want?
No, I can't say that. I've been to many hospitals over the years and they've said there are other ways to do it, so it's not over.
Born: January 12, 2001 in Oskarshamn
Merits in selection: Three Paralympic gold medals in 2026, downhill, super combined and giant slalom. Bronze in super-G.
Two Paralympic gold medals in 2022 in slalom and super combined, bronze in downhill.
Two World Cup gold medals in 2025 (slalom and giant slalom).
Four World Cup gold medals in 2023 (slalom, giant slalom, super-G and super combined).
Two World Cup gold medals in 2022 (slalom and parallel slalom).
Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) is a congenital syndrome characterized by vascular malformations in the skin and blood vessels. Another example is that a body part may become enlarged.
Some people with the syndrome also have problems with the lymphatic system, which can lead to fluid retention and painful swelling.
People with the syndrome have skeletal changes and/or enlarged soft tissues. Parts of the body may be enlarged, such as a leg or an arm.
