Athlete's Dream Vacation Turns into a Hospital Nightmare

She was supposed to enjoy a dream vacation in Australia. Instead, Solveig Vråle found herself rushed to the hospital, fearing for her life.

– I was very scared, says the Norwegian track and field star.

First, we need to clear up a misunderstanding.

When Norwegian Solveig Vråle makes her comeback against international competition at the Diamond League events in Oslo, she is listed as Swedish in the starting list.

– It's very strange. The exact same thing happened last year.

The 25-year-old shakes her head and laughs.

– I'm actually a bit disappointed. My club collaborates a lot with the organizers here... and then they mess it up. It's really comical.

Solveig Vråle has just run half of the 800-meter race as a pacemaker. Her body doesn't yet allow her to run the full distance, where she became the Norwegian indoor champion a few years ago.

– This was good for my motivation. It's very taxing to be sick for so long.

"Completely Alone on the Other Side of the World"

And so the Norwegian rewinds the story to last October, when she had a dream vacation ahead of her.

After the last outdoor season, Solveig Vråle planned to treat herself to a few weeks of sun and warmth in Australia while visiting her younger sister Carolina.

But already on the flight, she realized something was wrong with her body.

The first days in Australia, Vråle was bedridden, and when she managed to go to a shopping center, she vomited in a flower pot.

Eventually, the 25-year-old ended up in the hospital. Six days passed without doctors understanding what was wrong.

– That was the worst part. I was extremely sick and couldn't take in any nutrition. I had very high infection levels and felt completely alone on the other side of the world, says Solveig Vråle.

NRK described the situation as feeling like "my last days had come."

– I was very scared. No matter how much antibiotics I received, it didn't get better.

Dreaming of the Olympics After the Nightmare

Finally, doctors found the cause of the pain. Solveig Vråle had developed pelvic inflammation due to having a hormonal IUD inserted before her trip to Australia.

– Then everything started to brighten. I realized that everything would be okay, but it would take time. But before that... there were many dark thoughts. Oh, my.

After nine days, Solveig Vråle was discharged from the hospital. There were no beach visits in Australia, just three months of rest at home in Norway.

– When I started training again, it went very quickly. It's insane how the body can turn around from one day to the next.

She dreams of representing Norway at the Olympics in Los Angeles 2028. Meanwhile, the illness period has given Solveig Vråle a new perspective on her sports career.

Alongside her comeback, she has started working as a gym instructor.

– I've become a bit confused by the whole situation. When I had an involuntary break from training, I started thinking about what things in life I care about. I don't know at all what the future will hold for me, but it will definitely include a lot of sports.