“As a child I often had a tough time. Often, I felt quite terrible. Often, I treated people badly and didn't know what I was supposed to do with my emotions,” says Icelandic goalkeeper Björgvin Pall Gustavsson, looking back on his childhood.
But year by year, this angry and sad boy managed to get his life under control – and handball was the key to turning the page.
“Little by little I built up an arsenal to deal with life's challenges. I have also acquired ambition and a longing to help children who are going through the same stuff I did,” the goalkeeper adds.
He wrote two books – first an autobiography, then a children’s book, which begins: “This is a tale about how I, the angry child, acquired the experience and the weapons to deal with the difficult project of being a human being and how I became a leader and acquired the ambition to help as many people as possible.”
For Gustavsson, writing those two books was a relief. He needed to tell his story – not only as a way to find peace of mind, but also to help others, mainly children. Right before the start of the EHF EURO 2024, his book “A child becomes President” is available as a free-of-charge audio book in English language on his social media accounts (Facebook and Instagram).
This book is the story of Bjöggi’s life: his route from the Children's Psychiatric Department in Iceland at the age of eight to the silver medal podium of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the age of 23. His books are about hope and how to become stronger through sport.
“When I put my handball uniform on, I feel like a superhero. Then I am no longer afraid. Just now I wasn't afraid at all to cry in front of all the guys in the locker room. It's quite all right to cry. It doesn't make me less tough. Now I feel that I have become strong. Now I can begin helping everyone who feels bad. Nobody should have to deal with pain alone,“ is the conclusion.
At the age of 34, Gustavsson wrote his autobiography “Without filter” (Án filters) including his hard times as an adult after a mental crash in 2019, followed by “Barn verður forseti” (“A child becomes President”).
“To write a book and to tell everyone about it is like emptying an imaginary heavy backpack that I have been lugging around. Everything will be so much more comfortable. Now I am making a new me, a new Bjöggi, and nothing is stopping me.”
Thanks to sport and his life experience, Gustavsson has found the right ways to deal with anger, fear and sadness.
“Through the years I have filled my backpack with breathing exercises, anxiety exercises, better sleep, a smile, positivity, gratitude, healthy food and many other things that I use to make myself feel better,“ he says. But still the day is not full of 24 hours of sunshine: “I don't always feel good. That is also quite all right, not to feel good the whole time. That is like quite all right.“
Through his performances on and off the court, he became a star, a role model – for handball players as well as “normal” kids with the same problems he had when he was young.
“Today I am the captain of the Icelandic national handball team. That made me feel very happy. Especially since I was once mean to everybody. I was no kind of leader and thought I could never become one. Maybe my purpose in life the whole time was to be a good role model. To help others feel better. Hopefully I will be able to do just that by telling my story. Hopefully my story will make you feel a bit better,” Gustavsson says.
In his book, he finally becomes the president of Iceland – with the aim to make all kids in Iceland happy, to show them that everything is possible, when you fight for it. And that hope and ambition should never end.
This is not only the way that Gustavsson has handled his problems, but also the way the goalkeeper and the Icelandic team are looking ahead to the EHF EURO 2024 in Germany.
“In Iceland, we always dream big,” Gustavsson says. “After some tournaments, in which we were below expectations, now we hope for something big, at least a ticket for the Olympic Qualification Tournaments.”
Gustavsson is now the oldest and most experienced player in the Icelandic team at the age of 38 and with more than 250 international matches played. “In 2008, I played my first Olympic Games at Beijing, faced France and Nikola Karabatic in the final, now I dream of playing in Paris – and still against Nikola Karabatic.”
Iceland play in preliminary group C in Munich, facing Hungary, Serbia and Montenegro, and are expecting thousands of fans to support them.
“So many Icelanders will follow us and support, this will be a huge crowd. And this time, we have a really promising team, especially as Gisli Kristjansson is back after injury,” the goalkeeper thinks.
Iceland’s new head coach is Snorri Steinn Guðjónsson, who played alongside Gustavsson when Iceland took their only EHF EURO medal, bronze in 2010 in Austria.
“Snorri now really had a tough job to do to select 20 players, as our squad is wide and full of quality. With him, we play a new style, much faster,” he adds.
And Bjöggi Gustavsson, who will form the goalkeeper duo with 2022 All-star Team goalkeeper Viktor Hallgrímsson, is highly motivated.
“Regardless of my age, I am still loving this game, especially when wearing the Iceland jersey.”
And in Germany, Bjöggi can become a role model in different ways again, to make the Icelandic kids happier.
Photo © Uros Hocevar/kolektiff
