Anna Sofie Thaarup is the GoGirls! Ambassador from team Denmark. The 25-year-old defender will play in her fourth Women’s WFC in Neuchâtel. Anna Sofie has also experience from several international tournaments.
My name is Anne Sofie Thaarup, I am 25 years old and live in Aarhus, Denmark where I study Education Science at the University.
How did you start playing floorball and how long have you played?
I have played floorball since I was 12 years old. As a kid I tried out many different sports, but quickly became a fan of floorball. After school I played hockey outdoors and decided to try floorball even though we only had a boys’ team in my village at that time.
How did you join the national team?
I believe it was a combination of being at the right place at the right time and working hard to improve my game. I grew up and played in a small village and I did not even know, that Denmark had a national team in floorball. I was just playing for fun with the boys from my class. When I got too old to play in the boys’ team, I started at the women’s team nearby city. Luckily the team had a shortage of defenders so I got a lot of match experience. At the same time this club had always delivered plenty of national team players. So in 2011 I was invited to train with the national team. I clearly remember, that the head coach told me, that if I want to be part of the national team I had to train floorball at least four times a week to be at the level I needed. So I started doing that.
How do you prepare for the WFC 2019?
As an individual I try to prepare myself physically and mentally. I need to peak in December so during the summer I focus on strength training to prepare my body for a high training intensity later on. At the same time it is crucial that we play well together as a team. That is why we get together multiple times to practice our game plan.
Who is your favourite floorball player?
Martin Östholm.
Random fact?
I had my first WFC in Switzerland and maybe I will have my last one there too.
GoGirls! Floorball is the IFF project aimed at helping to increase and promote the participation of girls and women in floorball throughout the world. Read more from here.