From World Cups to the Olympics: Synne Dyrhaug on communication behind the scenes

At the Olympic Games, everything happens on a bigger scale, and for FIS Cross-Country Media Coordinator Synne Dyrhaug, her first Olympic experience strongly reinforced the roles that teamwork, trust and communication all have to play.

"The pressure on athletes, organizers, and us is on a different level than a regular World Cup," said Dyrhaug, speaking to Inside FIS during the summer off-season. "It taught me a lot about strategic and direct communication, because we had to handle things coming at us constantly. Fortunately, within our team there’s a huge level of trust. There are four of us who spend the whole season traveling together and we really help and support each other.”

And while much of her work takes place out of the spotlight, it plays a crucial part in how athletes, events and stories are seen around the world. Indeed, over four seasons with FIS, Dyrhaug has become a key link between athletes, coaches, organizers, broadcasters and media representatives throughout the Cross-Country World Cup season.

"Good communication across every area is the most important skill," she explained, on a job that features everything from managing mixed zones and athlete interviews to supporting communications during major competitions. "You need a good plan from the start, but you also need flexibility because things happen, mistakes happen and sometimes you have to reprioritize on the spot."

The ability to remain calm under pressure is equally important. "Things never go completely according to plan, so you need to be able to prioritize and focus on what you can control," she said, echoing the words of her FIS colleague Louise Seppey - a graduate of the FIS Women Lead Sports (WLS) program - in a recent interview.

And though Dyrhaug is not a WLS participant herself, another of the program’s alumni - the inspirational Gro Eide - was an important mentor to her early in her career. "I was working on the Ski Tour in Norway, being responsible for media operations on the organizer's side, and Gro was involved too," Dyrhaug recalled, of the period the pair worked together in early 2020.

"I was performing the media ops role and making the decisions, but Gro had so much experience on the organizational side, the federation side, as well as from 15 Olympic Games, and she was always willing to help me and answer any of my questions. And funnily enough, that role was where I first met [FIS Cross-Country World Cup Coordinator] Doris [Kallen], who in a way is my mentor today! When my current job at FIS became available, Doris remembered me and suggested I put in an application.”

"Gro challenged me to think bigger and not just see the restrictions in front of me, because there's possibility in every direction,” continued Dyrhaug, who feels that Eide also taught her that both vision and relationships are required to make change happen. "The big lesson was that you can influence change, but you also have to build relationships to create the development you need."

“The benefits of mentoring go both ways and for me it's been important and positive to have someone young and eager like Synne around as well,” said Eide, underlining the pair’s mutual respect. “I feel like we have both learned a lot from each other.”

Relationships like this remain one of the reasons Dyrhaug continues to love the sport and, while Cross-Country Skiing may appear to be an individual discipline, she sees it differently. "What keeps me going is being together with all the great people. It's like we’re one big family, all traveling together for four or five months."

The connections formed across teams, nations and organizations create a unique culture that extends far beyond competition. "It's not the biggest sport in the world, but it has passion and so much history," she said, and looking ahead, Dyrhaug believes that maintaining that culture of collaboration and respect will remain essential to the sport’s future.

"I think it's an amazing culture," she said, as the conversation drew to a close. "There's lots of collaboration, respect and a strong will to keep developing the sport."

For someone whose work often happens behind the scenes, it is a fitting reminder that leadership is not always about standing at the front. Sometimes it is about creating the conditions to allow others to succeed.