Norway's greatest Olympic hopes

Grace Bullen about the songwriter: -⁠ Jenny has opened my eyes When Jenny Ayunda was going to write a song about Grace Bullen, 

she had to take a close look at the Olympic wrestler's life. It made an impression. 

She has collected them in the song "Warrior". "Warrior". She thinks it fits well. It is the song about her who grew up characterized by loneliness, outsiders and racism, and who is now one of Norway's greatest Olympic hopes. And about a family that fled two wars in Africa.

 - What impressed you most about what she said? - That was really all. Not least how the past has shaped her after she came to Norway. 

That she didn't smile, that she was afraid to bond and things like that. But it seems that wrestling has been a bit of your salvation. And I think that was very nice, says Jenny Ayunda and looks over at her good friend. 

 - Because if you have a passion, it can save your life. In many ways. So it's very nice, I think. While Grace Bullen was born in Ghinda in Eritrea, to parents fleeing South Sudan, Jenny Ayunda was born in Norway.

 - But I have an Ugandan father. And since Grace has her family from South Sudan, we share borders there. So it was a bit of a fun thing that we found out about each other too. 

Neighbors! smiles Grace Bullen. Jenny Ayunda sat for hours with Bullen to hear her story. Bullen was born on 7 February 1997. 

She came to Norway on 11 September 2001 – the same day as the terrorist attack against the USA. 

 - I was surprised at how much you remembered, considering how small you were when you fled. Or has it come gradually? wonders Ayunda. No, I actually knew what happened all along. For me it was normal then. 

But it's not something we talk about when it happens, says Bullen. - We don't talk about feelings. We are not talking about such things that characterize us on a daily basis. 

We are not talking about what is relevant. We don't talk about the emotional stuff - we keep that to ourselves.

Well, I actually knew what happened all along. For me it was normal then. But it's not something we talk about when it happens, says Bullen.

- We don't talk about feelings. We are not talking about such things that characterize us on a daily basis. We are not talking about what is relevant. We don't talk about the emotional stuff - we keep that to ourselves.

Is it Norwegian or African? It is VG who is asking this time.

- It is a very good mix of both Norwegian and African. I have spent most of my life here in Norway.

- But there are things that I have learned in Norway that I know I had not learned when I was in Sudan. And there are things that I know I've learned there, which I don't learn when I'm here. So it's being able to take the good of both places is what I call a home.

Grace Bullen has told several times about what she remembers from the escape and the time before she came to Norway. About being woken up in the middle of the night, about the long distances they walked and how far they drove when they got the chance.

She doesn't really want to talk about that now. Now she would rather talk about the path to Jenny's song and what she is trying to achieve there.

- It is rare that an athlete can get a song that describes himself in this way. And with the song we want to motivate people, motivate people to persevere regardless of what they do, and give them hope that it is possible to achieve things.

- For me, it's about my background. For others, it can be completely different things. And it can be in completely different arenas. In music, in academia or at work. We're just trying to say things can work out anyway, but you just have to keep believing that you can.

Grave Bullen herself had parents who demanded that she do well at school, so she had the opportunity to focus on wrestling in the second row.

- I wasn't super talented. I had to work hard. For a long time I lived in the shadow of my older sister.

- Do you always like sports?

No, there may be days when you think that what you are doing is completely too damned. But you have to remember the small moments when you feel that it's the only thing I want to do.

Grace Bullen has now reached one of the big goals; get to the Olympics. It's tough in wrestling, where there are only 16 in each class.

- Wrestling is one of the sports where you know that someone at home could have become an Olympic champion. Because so few of us qualify. I was ranked among the top two or three before the Tokyo Olympics, but had to stay at home. Yes, wrestling is tough.

She threw herself crying around the neck of her Georgian coach Zurabi Iakobishvili when the Olympic ticket was secured. Fortunately, she gets him to take her to the Paris Olympics, where she wrestles in 62 kilograms.

- I have a coach who supports me in everything I do. He thinks that it was incredibly fun and good that we did this song.

She has spoken out critically about the help she has received from the Norwegian Wrestling Federation, but has never considered running for Georgia, for example.

- I feel Norwegian, and I always want to pose with the Norwegian flag on my chest.

What is your relationship with Norway?

- Norway has been my savior in finding Grace.

- In what way?

- I have been used to fleeing from place to place. But it took a long time before I felt a place was my home. And I got that here in Norway.

She looks over at Jenny Ayunda. Both nod and smile.

- We have been working on this song for a whole year. We didn't know if you were going to the Olympics or not. But we wanted to present your story anyway, says Jenny Ayunda.

- I wanted to tell a story that people recognize.

Grace Bullen says that working on the song has done something to her.

- I thought that my arena was the wrestling mat and the gym. But Jenny has opened my eyes to the fact that I can also do other things. I never thought I would have a song dedicated to my story and my family's story. But you discover new things every day.

Maybe Jenny Ayunda needs to write another verse.

If Grace Bullen takes gold in the Olympics.