From setback to success: How Sweden’s Ebba Einarsson’s “why not me?” attitude changed everything

Image Credit: World Rowing and Ebba Einarsson

This conversation was with a friend I met during my time at the University of British Columbia. I feel that para-rowing deserves a seat at the table, and I was thrilled to be able to have a conversation with such an inspiring athlete.

Seven days. That’s how long it took for Ebba Einarsson’s world to flip upside down completely. Just one week after winning the Swedish Rowing Championships, the promising young rower found herself in a hospital bed, facing an uncertain future after becoming inexplicably paralyzed. The doctors had no clear answers, no roadmap forward, just a harsh reality that her life had taken an unexpected turn.

“It literally came out of nowhere,” she recalls. “I think it was just like so uncertain because nobody knew anything and nobody really gave me any answers. You go to the hospital expecting doctors to give you solutions, right? This was not the case at all for me.”

But what happened next reveals something profound about the human spirit and the power of perspective.

The hidden world of para sport

Despite being on Sweden’s junior national rowing team, Ebba had never heard of para-rowing. This isn’t unusual; it’s a sobering reminder of how invisible Paralympic sports remain, even to elite athletes within the same discipline. “I didn’t even know that para-rowing existed, which tells you so much about how hidden it is,” she explains. “Nobody knows. Nobody sees it. There’s too little exposure.”

A simple Google search changed everything. Finding Norwegian para-rower Birgit Skarstein gave her hope; if someone from neighbouring Norway could compete at the highest level, maybe she could too. Yet initial skepticism lingered for Ebba. Would it ever bring the same joy as before? That question was answered definitively months later when she crossed the finish line in a para boat for the first time. The feeling was the exact same.

Ebba in action

The power of “why not me?”

What struck me most about Ebba’s story isn’t just her athletic achievements, but her fundamental approach to adversity. Where others might ask, “Why me?” she consistently asks, “Why not me?”

“You really don’t handle what comes at you, but you handle what you do with it,” she says. “Control the controllables. You are really in the power of what you do with your life, and I hope people could understand that more.”

This philosophy carried her through months of uncertainty, through her first disappointing row post injury where she felt “weak and slow”, through the heartbreak of initially missing Paralympic qualification for the Paris. Her ability to embrace obstacles as challenges and make the best out of every situation became the foundation for everything that followed.

Finding family in competition

From a young age, rowing wasn’t just a sport for Ebba; it was a cornerstone of a vibrant, family-like community. “Everyone at the club is like a family,” she recounts, emphasizing how these early friendships and a deep sense of belonging kept her immersed in the sport. Even facing her life-altering injury, the greatest fear wasn’t losing the ability to compete, but rather the cherished friendships and social connections that rowing provided. The para-rowing community operates on a beautiful paradox: fierce competitors who genuinely care for each other’s success. During her first competition, struggling with equipment that wasn’t suited for her needs, the German team simply handed over their oars.

“Everyone is literally just helping everyone because we know that we wouldn’t be here if the others weren’t here,” she explains. “When we’re on the water, we are against each other, but usually on land we’re pretty welcoming.”

This spirit of mutual support, where athletes are always willing to help each other, even lending equipment to competitors before a race, stands as a powerful counter-narrative to traditional competitive environments.

Breaking new ground

As Sweden’s first para-rower to compete internationally, Ebba carries the weight of representation, not as a burden, but as an opportunity. She’s acutely aware that her visibility can inspire others and help grow the sport in smaller countries where frameworks for para-athletics are still developing. “I really hope that with my history and growing from before, it makes it a little bit easier to bring para-rowing to Sweden,” she says. “People just need to be a little bit more open to what they don’t know. Let’s just figure it out. Let’s try it.”

Her own journey, having been deeply involved in rowing but unaware of para-rowing, underscores the critical importance of simply making people “know that it exists.” This pioneering spirit extends beyond personal achievement to creating pathways for future generations.

The ultimate full circle

After the rollercoaster of missing initial qualification and then receiving that life-changing phone call while walking her dog, “Hey, you’re going to Paris,” Ebba finally made it to the Paralympics. Her path was anything but conventional, filled with unexpected turns and emotional highs and lows.

The experience in Paris exceeded even her wildest dreams. “You cannot even picture it,” she reflects. “Everyone is there, and it’s like, OK, I fit in. Everyone is like-minded. Everyone has been putting in so much work.”

But what made the Paralympics special wasn’t just the competition; it was the stories. “In the Paralympics, everyone has such individual stories that they have gone through and through all those challenges, they had to fight. That just makes it even better in some way.” For Ebba, “the games are the games,” whether Olympics or Paralympics, representing the pinnacle of athletic achievement. The Paralympic environment, with each athlete’s unique story of overcoming challenges, creates a truly unparalleled atmosphere of determination and inspiration. Sharing this moment with her family, she says, “just meant everything.”

Lessons beyond sport

Ebba’s journey from that hospital bed to the Paralympics offers lessons that extend far beyond rowing. Her story reminds us that while we can’t control what happens to us, we have tremendous power over how we respond.

She’s now pursuing a master’s in human Physiology in Copenhagen, hoping to contribute to sports research while continuing to compete. Her academic journey at UBC, where she found community among students from diverse backgrounds, mirrors her athletic experience, different paths, shared dedication.

“You make it work, whatever works for you,” she says of her unconventional journey. “This is my path.”

Beyond the finish line

In the competitive world of sports, it’s easy to focus solely on medals and personal bests. But for many athletes, the true value lies far beyond the finish line—in the bonds forged, the resilience built, and the impact made on others. This is powerfully evident in Ebba’s journey, whose story is a testament to the transformative power of community, perseverance, and a pioneering spirit. In a world that often focuses on limitations, Ebba’s story is a powerful reminder that the most important question isn’t “Why me?” but “Why not me?” Sometimes, the detour becomes the destination, and the setback becomes the setup for something even greater.

Her message is simple but profound: “You are really in the power of what you do with your life.” In her case, she chose to make it extraordinary. By embracing obstacles as challenges and making the best out of every situation, one can not only grow stronger but also inspire others to live their lives with greater agency and purpose.

Ebba Einarsson’s journey is a compelling reminder that sometimes, the most extraordinary paths are the ones we forge ourselves, driven by passion, community, and an unwavering belief in what’s possible.

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