Mariann Marthinsen

Mariann Marthinsen (nee Vestbostad) was born on 9 September 1984.[1] Her right leg was amputated when she was two, following a road traffic accident.[2] She attended Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, where she studied Social Work Studies, later going on to become a social worker. In 2003, she began competing in swimming.[1] During the course of her swimming career, she set 17 world records and won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China, in the women's 100 metre backstroke S8.[2]

Also in 2008, she decided to take up cross-country skiing, going on to win the seated skiing World Cup in 2013/14.[2] At the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, she won Norway's first gold medal at a Winter Paralympics with a victory in the women's 1km sprint classic, sitting. Marthinsen had led in the prologue round, and then in her heat but entered the final as the third fastest. She entered the last corner in fourth place, but took the lead with a few metres to go.[3] In the 5 km race, one of her skis were damaged early in the race, resulting in Marthinsen finishing in 15th place.[4]