Professor Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen: A Global Icon for Athlete Health and Ethical Sport
NEW NEXTGEN NEIGHBOR NETWORK AMBASSADOR
With profound respect and admiration, the NextGen Neighbor Network is excited to welcome the award-winning and King’s Medal of Merit recipient, Professor Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen as our newest Ambassador. Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen is a globally respected voice in athlete health and evidence-based care whose life’s work reflects the very principles of our initiative, the NTG I care Scholarship, and founder, Lousie Mohn, is encouraged to elevate across Norway.
NextGen Neighbor Network + Norges Toppidrettsgymnas (NTG)
With the excitement surrounding NextGen Neighbor Network’s partnership with Norges Toppidrettsgymnas (NTG) and its I care. Scholarship that was recently announced, Jorunn has been important for NTG in many aspects. Her research has both challenged and supported them in strengthening their focus on health promotion and nutritional guidance for athletes, and she has helped NTG develop guidelines for organizational development that take athlete health seriously. NTG and Jorunn now planned future projects to build new knowledge together, which will hopefully benefit their athletes and future generations of athletes in Norway and worldwide.
National Team Level / Artistic Gymnastics & How Her Friend’s Anorexia Shaped Her Career
Jorunn’s relationship with sport began early. As a young girl, she competed at the national team level in artistic gymnastics and later in rhythmic gymnastics. Sport gave her joy, structure, belonging, and identity. After her competitive years, she found meaning in coaching and supporting the development of younger athletes. Yet alongside sport, she also encountered its vulnerabilities. This included the tragic loss of a close gymnastics friend to anorexia along with years of pressure to lose weight in order to perform. This profoundly shaped her professional path. Through that experience created a lifelong commitment to protecting girls’ and women’s health in sport and to challenging cultures that compromise well-being in pursuit of results. It became clear to her that athletes are often far more vulnerable than they appear, and that safeguarding their dignity and health must always come before performance outcomes.
Health is the Foundation of Sustainable Performance
Throughout decades of research and leadership, including work connected to the Olympics, national councils, and international expert groups addressing athlete health and safety, Jorunn has remained anchored in one guiding principle: an athlete’s health and well-being must always take precedence over performance. She believes sport should first and foremost be a safe and inclusive arena where as many people as possible can experience mastery, joy, and a sense of belonging. This involves sustainable development both physically and mentally, which is essential for long-term success, and for protecting the human being behind the athlete. Environments built on trust, respect, and psychological safety allow young people to grow with confidence, to take risks without fear, and to develop resilience that lasts well beyond their competitive years.
Her research, particularly in the areas of relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs), eating disorders, and psychological well-being, underscores a powerful truth that parents, coaches, and communities must better understand: health is not the opposite of performance; it is the foundation of sustainable performance. When environments overemphasize body weight, unrealistic standards, or short-term success, the consequences can be severe. Temporary gains may mask long-term harm. By contrast, when nutrition, recovery, emotional safety, and developmentally appropriate expectations are protected, performance becomes more stable, more resilient, and far more enduring. Young athletes are then able to thrive in sport and in life.
Ethical Responsibility
Jorunn also speaks with clarity about the ethical responsibility adults carry when young people place their identity and self-worth in sport. For many adolescents, sport is central to how they evaluate themselves. This demands knowledge, integrity, and care from those in positions of authority. Coaches and leaders must recognize their influence and create cultures that support the whole person rather than reinforcing an identity defined solely by results. When belonging, effort, and growth are valued more than perfection and comparison, young athletes develop a healthier and more sustainable relationship with both sport and themselves.
Inner Motivation: Enjoyment, Curiosity, and Personal Meaning
In today’s sports culture that is now highly shaped with the increasing pressure of social media, Jorunn emphasizes the importance of inner motivation. Athletes driven by enjoyment, curiosity, and personal meaning are better protected against burnout and mental health challenges. Her message to every young athlete, regardless of talent level, is clear: your value as a person is never defined by your performance. When health and joy are prioritized, sport becomes a source of strength rather than strain.
The vision she carries aligns seamlessly with the mission of the NextGen Neighbor Network. If sport succeeds as a vehicle for belonging, public health, and youth development, society twenty years from now will be healthier, more inclusive, and more resilient. It will be shaped by individuals who possess strong self-worth, lifelong healthy habits, and a deep sense of connection to community. That is the social capital we strive to build. That is the responsibility we carry.
It is an absolute honor to have Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen as a NextGen Neighbor Network Ambassador. Jorunn is the epitome of the highest form of a class act role model, who uses her voice as a catalyst to shift the paradigm in Norwegian sports. In close collaboration with NTG and NextGen Neighbor Network, she will contribute significantly in supporting the creation of more role models and a stronger society around each NTG through the NTG I care. Scholarship.