Life is not just about engagement at work. Oslo Business Memo talks to members of the Oslo business community about what’s up when not at work. Kathrine Myhre, CEO at Oslo Medtech, busy building the growing cluster, spend a lot of her valuable spare time on her daugther’s soccer team.
Myhre is team manager for the Øvrevoll-Hosle Girls 1998 team, and she as well ends up spending some of her summer holiday in Blaine, Minnesota. Reason: Øvrevoll-Hosle Girls 1998 participates in Schwan’s USA CUP.
Oslo Business Memo: – You engage in your spare time to manage a youth soccer team, why not only relax with a cup of tea in your favourite chair?
Kathrine Myhre: – Vacation for me is doing and experiencing other and new things than what you normalIy do. Together with family and friends. That refills the batteries. If I at the same time can do meaningful things, like be part of a team that organizes this kind of “onze in a life time” experience for 25 enthusiastic girls age 15/16 that like to be social and active; could it be better?
OBM: – Your daugther’s team is in Blaine not only to play football?
KT: – We are proud to tell that Øvrevoll-Hosle Girls 1998 has been selected as the ambassador team to promote Handshake for Peace at this year’s tournament July 11-19. Together with the team Phoenix Fiera from Omaha, Nebraska, our girls will serve as role models for the program to promote sportsmanship and fair play among the 12,000 players and spectators attending the tournament.
OBM: – What is Handshake for Peace?
KT: – It was first introduced by the Norwegian Football Association in the Norwegian Premier Legue in 2012. Schwan’s USA CUP has joined with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the Norwegian Football Association and the Nobel Peace Center to add the Handshake for Peace for the first time. USA CUP will become the first international youth tournament in the U.S. to embrace the Handshake for Peace. FIFA has been conducting the Handshake for Peace at this year’s World Cup in Brazil.
OBM: – How come Øvrevoll-Hosle 1998 now is appointed the ambassador team?
KT: – After winning a championship at Norway Cup in 2011, we set a goal to travel to Schwan’s USA CUP in 2014. Their three year project to raise the funds for the U.S. trip demonstrated the dedication that helped Øvrevoll-Hosle earn selection to be one of the Handshake for Peace ambassador teams. To finance the trip the whole team did a variety of part time jobs such as school patrol jobs, selling toilet paper, and doing garbage clean up on the streets in their neighborhoods, all the time with a smile.
OBM: – Exciting to reach the goal?
KT: – Yes, absolutely! We will be many parents with tears in our eyes at the Opening Ceremony on July 15. All players at the Schwan’s tournament will receive a Handshake for Peace wristband, and the Handshake for Peace will be introduced by Thor-Erik Stenberg, who is the official delegate to the tournament from the Norwegian Football Association. The Norwegian Football Association is sending Jan Aage Fjortoft, a member of Norway’s 1994 World Cup team, as an official delegate.
OBM: – The youth tournament has a great impact locally in Minnesota as well?
KT: – Yes, the Schwan’s USA CUP celebrates it’s 30th annual tournament at the National Sports Center in Blaine. A record 1,060 teams, representing 19 countries and 20 states. It is the largest youth soccer tournament in the Western Hemisphere. With an out-of-state economic impact of over USD 20 million, Schwan’s USA CUP is Minnesota’s largest annual out-of-state tourism event.
OBM: – Finally, we hope you will have time left of your holiday to relax in America before returning to the continous building of Oslo Medtech?
KT: – After the cup, my daughters and myself will travel to Boston, Cape Cod, Washington DC and New Your for vacation. We look forward to 5-6 days on the beaches of Cape Cod, excellent sea food, interesting museums, traveling the east coast cuntry-side by car and meeting old friends in Washington DC from my time as an Au Pair back in the late 80’s.
