"Skiing is important! Maybe this can lead to both increased recruitment in the sport of skiing and diversity across different cultures," says Aksel.

What is Aksel SFO?
Aksel SFO is an after-school program at SNØ, established by the famous alpine skier Aksel Lund Svindal. The program is for children from 4th grade and up, and gives them the opportunity to spend an afternoon a week alpine skiing after school during SFO time. The goal of Aksel SFO is to introduce children to the joy of skiing and mastery, while giving them the opportunity to try skiing in a safe environment - regardless of previous experience.

Aksel SFO started as a pilot project in 2020 in collaboration with Lørenskog municipality, with 8 children as participants. Today, all eight elementary schools in Lørenskog municipality are part of the scheme, and approximately 1000 children have participated in Aksel SFO.

How does it work?
Each school gets one day per week for six consecutive weeks. The SFO sends a list of all participants to SNØ in advance. When the students arrive, the ski equipment is ready, and the students are greeted by instructors who accompany them throughout their stay. The instructors ensure that everyone has a safe and positive experience on skis.

The Aksel Fund
In 2016, Svindal, together with Telenor, decided that his first World Cup downhill gold in Åre should be melted down and form the basis for the Aksel Fund. From the fund, a total of three million kroner has been distributed to activities Aksel is passionate about and which promote the joy of sports.

Among those who have received funding are clubs and associations that need equipment, initiatives for more children to have the opportunity to ski or which help children and adults to recover from an injury. A total of 19 initiatives have received support from the fund - and Aksel SFO at SNØ is one of them.

Is your school interested or would like to hear more about the offer?
Contact us at kontakt@snooslo.no.