Magnus experienced the nightmare – now he cycles around Jotunheimen in support of mental health
27. June 2023
By Amalie Mogstad

Magnus Nordahl lives in Bærum, is about to turn 30 and is engaged to what he describes as the world’s most beautiful girl. In his spare time, he competes in obstacle courses (OCR), and in the past he has also been a top athlete in swimming.
– I like varied and versatile training, and I rarely say no to a challenge, he says about himself.
The shock
In 2019, life was turned upside down for the active athlete. On an ordinary day, he woke up with a headache.
– I thought it would just go away, like a normal headache does, he says, adding:
– But after two weeks without improvement and a feeling that my head would explode when I went to the bathroom, I went to the emergency room. There I was told to take a Paracet and it would go away.
But it didn’t. A week later, Magnus had such a pressing and painful feeling in his head that he visited the emergency room again.
– I received the same message as last time. But since this didn’t feel like a normal headache, I booked an appointment with Volvat.
From there he was sent straight on to Ullevål hospital for an MRI of the head. The result was totally disappointing. The MRI showed a cyst in the head the size of a tennis ball.

– I had surgery on the 4th. March and was in hospital for two weeks before I was allowed to go home. After the operation, I was unable to walk because my body was so run down, he says.
– It affects me
The years after the extensive head surgery have been tough for Magnus. He has especially felt that in the psyche.
– Without going into too much detail, it is stressful to send several hundred job applications and get rejected time and time again. It affects me in that I struggle to get a police job, he says, and continues:
– When I left the police academy in 2017, it was difficult to get a job. When you spice it up with head surgery and holes in the CV, it doesn’t exactly get any easier.

Prior to the operation, Magnus had signed up for a 24-hour obstacle course with three friends. He had been looking forward to the race for four years.
– The motivation to make it happen was enormous. Even though many people said it was highly unlikely that I would be able to do it, I went from not being able to walk, to completing the race in less than three months after the head surgery with extremely targeted training.

Cycling for mental health
Now the next big challenge is soon to come. Since his legs can withstand less running, there has been more and more cycling at Magnus. This weekend he will participate for the very first time in Jotunheimen Rundt.
– I’m looking forward to it. I am looking forward to cycling with a good friend and experiencing beautiful Norwegian nature, I also dread the pain and suffering that will occur. I’ve ridden too few long distances for my ass to feel good here, if I may say so, he says jokingly, and adds:
– Having said that, I am happy to push myself and see what I am capable of, both physically and mentally.

Magnus and his friend don’t just ride for themselves at the weekend. They will ride the bone-chilling ride in support of something bigger.
– Showing that you are having a hard time and are vulnerable is something we men tend to struggle with both showing and sharing. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be a weakness, and we want to highlight that by cycling around Jotunheimen in support of mental health, he says.
The collection is already well under way at Spleis.
– I like people and helping people. If I can be open about mental health and help others dare to open up, then that is a great joy for me.