Nata Vestnorden

Faroese football fitness team visits Iceland

June 2, 2023
Grants, News
June 2, 2023
Grants, News

Heilsufótbólturin á Argjum (football fitness team from Faroe Islands) was in Iceland 17-22 may 2023.

The ladies say that they had a fantastic trip – see their travel report below:

There were 22 women travelling together, our age range being from 46 to 69. The purpose of the trip was to strengten the team spirit of the group, to play soccer and to meet others that share our interest for football fitness in Reykjavik. In addition, the purpose of the trip was to inform others about the beneficial health effects of participating in football fitness and to share our experiences from this branch of sport.

We arrived in Reykjavik on Wednesday 17 May. First on the program was a visit to a local jewelery designer who was an acquaintance of one of the participants in our group. On the occasion of our visit, she had organized an event where we were informed about the company, got good discounts and champagne. The rest of the day was spent visiting cafés and restaurants and shopping on Laugarvegur – we especially found the many second-hand shops exciting.

On 18 May, the group went on the Golden Circle tour, where we experienced Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. On the tour, our guide gave information about Icelandic history, culture, geology and nature.

On the afternoon of 19 May, Magni Mohr, professor of sports and physiology, gave a lecture for the Icelandic football association, KSI, about the beneficial effect that football fitness has on health. After the lecture, our soccer team participated in training at Laugardalsvøllur, the Icelandic national stadium, where we demonstrated a soccer fitness training program under the expert instruction of Magni Mohr and May-Britt Skoradal. The Icelandic Football Association showed great interest in the football fitness program, and it is with some pride that we can now say that we have played a match on Iceland’s national stadium.

After football training, the group went to Kópavágur, where we visited the Sky Lagoon. All in all a great day! 

On 20 May, the day started early with some of the participants going out for a sea swim together with some women from the Icelandic sea swimming group Glaðari tú, who had just returned from a trip to the Faroe Islands. The women from Glaðari tú were kind enough to pick up the participants at the hotel, which we were very grateful for. The sea swimming took place in Nautholsvík.

Later that day, the whole group went to brunch in Harpa, and after lunch there was a concert with a Swedish choir in the atrium.

On Sunday 21 May, the group went to church in Hallgrimskirkjan, and then to brunch at the restaurant Kol.

On Sunday afternoon we played a football match against a team from the football club Valur. The women from Valur had prepared the match, and a referee and ball boys were lined up. It was a good and challenging match, but we are not talking about the result. There were quite a few spectators at the match, and everyone left the stadium happy. After the match we chatted with the team from Valur and invited them to come to the Faroe Islands for a return match. We are grateful for the hospitality shown to us by the women of Valur.

On Monday 22 May we traveled home to the Faroe Islands after a few fantastic days in Iceland.

We expect that the trip will help to strengthen the team spirit of the group and to motivate the participants to continue being active in football fitness for a long time to come.

We are pleased with the eventful trip and give thanks to NATA for the travel support.

We would like to thank the companies who were kind enough to support us with the team jerseys, and thank Halla Nolsøe Poulsen, the Faroe Islands’ representative in Iceland, for making contact with the right people in Iceland in connection with the preparations for the trip.