An interview with NORMA Ambassador Magnus Samuelsson

"Hunting Is One of the Few Places Where You Can Spend Time with Two or Three Generations at Once"

The Farm Boy from Tidersrum

Along the country roads, still waters mirror dreamy beech forests and hunting stands. A sharp right turn later, we arrive at the family farm Linneberg in Tidersrum, outside Kisa. The Border Terrier, Pumpen, welcomes us as we step out of the car, causing the horses grazing in the adjacent field to look up. Magnus and his brother Torbjörn represent the fifth generation of Samuelssons here.

"For me, it has always been crystal clear – I would become a dairy farmer in southern Östergötland," says Magnus Samuelsson, who can now also add NORMA Ambassador to his CV.

However, fate had different plans. The brothers had watched "Conan the Barbarian" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and had become interested in weightlifting. On Torbjörn's birthday, they received a barbell with weights from their grandmother – and the rest, as they say, is history.

Magnus explains that weightlifting was far from popular at the time, quite the opposite. "You had to defend your hobby. Back then, if you were big, you were seen as a bit dimwitted in society, and if you were a farmer with an accent, you were in trouble."

From Kisa Library to Mr. Olympia Programs

Initially, Magnus combined weightlifting with other sports – slalom, downhill skiing, and sprinting in track and field. But as weightlifting gained a foothold, everything else took a back seat. The brothers started training more and more, initially in a rather haphazard manner. This was before the days of Google, and reliable information wasn't easy to find.

"The library's collection of literature on how to get big and strong was not exactly extensive down at the Kisa library," Magnus says.

But once again, a gift made a significant difference. One day, their mother brought home Arnold Schwarzenegger's book "Arnold's Bodybuilding for Men," and it became a game-changer.

"The book had beginner training at the front, a little guy with small weights. Flip a few pages, and there were intermediate programs, a slightly bigger guy with slightly heavier weights. Skip through all that, and you'd find Arnold's Mr. Olympia program."

So they followed the advanced program. They began training six days a week, roughly 2.5 hours each day, for five years.

"You can't tune an engine in a car if you don't understand how an engine works, so it's wise to read a lot," says Magnus, who lives by the principle that all success must come from knowledge and that you can't rush results.

A Promise Is a Promise

Word began to spread about the strong brothers. Magnus recalls a 28-minute arm-wrestling match against the guy considered the strongest in the municipality. When the dust had settled, Magnus emerged victorious. He went on to win every Swedish championship he entered in arm-wrestling, a European championship, and the Swedish bench press title.

Before long, Magnus won Sweden's Strongest Man at Skara Sommarland, qualifying him for the World's Strongest Man. He confesses he had no idea what he was getting himself into.

"I arrived with gear similar to what you'd bring on a beach vacation. It wasn't like at the end of my career when I had two hockey bags instead," says Magnus, who despite the lack of experience made it to the final and finished tenth on his debut.

The reward came in 1998. After three grueling weeks in Morocco, Magnus became the first Swede ever to be crowned the World's Strongest Man. The final was watched by 200 million viewers on ESPN, and offers started pouring in – including an appearance on Jay Leno's talk show, which he declined due to prior commitments.

"My agent thought I was out of my mind for not going, but I had a competition in Finland at the time, and a promise is a promise. I'm meticulous about keeping the promises I make. I've lost a lot of money in my life because of it, but it makes me feel good as a person."

The One That Got Away

The reigning world champion also began receiving offers from the film industry. He recalls a call from someone working on a production called "Gladiator."

"But honestly, has anyone ever called someone and said, 'Hi, I'm working on a fairly mediocre film production that probably no one will see, and we wonder if you...'" Magnus says.

"Then he finished by saying that we would be filming in Morocco for three months. I thought that I had just returned from Morocco, and it wasn't great there." Magnus declined. A few weeks later, the phone rang again – but he still hadn't changed his mind.

"It was a bit unnecessary, because 'Gladiator' is probably one of the biggest movies of modern times," he says, laughing.

From Strongman to Motorsport

Magnus participated in a total of thirteen World's Strongest Man competitions. His career allowed him to see the world and provided numerous contacts, but gradually, other interests began to take precedence.

"The best way to kill a hobby is to work with it, and you need to have a new one," says Magnus, who started competing in folk racing events that eventually transitioned into rally.

His interest led him to the 2010 Swedish Rally in Värmland. However, despite perfect conditions, success eluded him. "I managed to get sick, something that rarely happens to me. I had a 40-degree fever, felt dizzy, became tired and confused. At one point, I was so tired that I couldn't even hear the navigator's instructions," he recalls. "It ended up in a snowdrift."

Hunting – A Craft and a Social Tradition

Shooting and hunting have been a source of relaxation for Magnus over the years. His father was a competitive shooter, and the brothers began to take an interest at an early age.

"I was told 'Stand here' and then I shot what needed to be shot," says Magnus, although he admits that his brother is the better shooter and hunter of the two.

"Hunting is so much more than going into the woods with a rifle. It's a craft, but it's also about being able to read the signs in nature. Similar to history, chess, or anything else, it becomes more enjoyable the more you know about it."

As a landowner, Magnus sees wildlife management as a natural responsibility. "If you grew up on a farm where one day you helped your mom deliver a calf and the next day you stood with the vet to put down an animal, you learn that life consists of yin and yang. You can't just select the cute and fluffy parts of life and think you can stick with that."

How has his relationship with hunting evolved?

"For many years, when I was competing, I wasn't home very often, but as soon as I was, I was involved in hunting. Hunting has been a great way to relax and, above all, to socialize. It's one of the few places where you can spend time with two or three generations at once."

Changes in the natural environment have also shaped the hunting on the family farm. "We didn't have wild boar here when I was growing up. In the last 10–15 years, we've had many, which has led to a completely different hunting pattern, different dogs, different shooting techniques, and essentially a different collection of firearms. In the past, it was a matter of 'now we have three months here,' and it was quite isolated. But now it's almost year-round."

A Passionate Dog Lover

Nowadays, Magnus spends almost all his free time in the woods, and during our visit, it's evident that the dogs and his interaction with them are essential to him.

"I'm a huge animal lover, and I've always had a strong passion for dogs," he says. "We've always had a companion dog here on the farm, who wanders around and keeps an eye on everyone. My brother has Laikas that he hunts with, and my father has hounds. When I was away for so many years, I couldn't have my hunting dog, but now I have a little Border Terrier girl who's with me all the time. The problem with her is that you get so attached. They are so personal and are always with you."

The Art of the Shot

Naturally, Pumpen accompanies us when we head to the area where Magnus usually practices shooting. Just like most other things he does, he does it thoroughly.

"Normally, I spend a few days a week trying to hit moving targets, but mostly focusing on accurate hits in a reasonably short time with firearms."

What does driven hunting mean to him?

"Driven hunting often comes with a significant social exchange over a few days. It provides unique opportunities to see a large number of animals moving at a relatively slow pace. I always prepare thoroughly for driven hunting because it places tough demands on making the right decisions."

Magnus explains that since he and his brother appeared in Aimpoint's "Hunt the Globe" series, he has changed and refined his shooting techniques. "Since I got in touch with Aimpoint, I started using a completely new way to hold the weapon and a completely new way to think about how to get to the final shot. When you have a solid framework to work with, I find it enjoyable."

"Shooting is a bit like golf. It's not difficult to get a good shot when no one is watching, but it's much harder when everyone is watching, and you absolutely can't miss."

"I'm quite dedicated if I do something. I either choose to do it or not at all."

And if history has taught us anything, we will hear a lot more about Magnus Samuelsson in the future.