Dag Otto

About Dag Otto Winnæss

My name is Dag Otto Winnæss. I am 49 years and In my professional life I work as Chief of Staffs in NCC Construction[1] which is, as the name says construction (and real estate) company. In my spare time (spare time during this 18 months !!??), I like to sports as for instance running, go biking, skiing downhill and cross country and I have a cabin - typical Norwegian many would say. I also have a farm where I spend some time. The farm is situated where I have my cabin, in Numedal [2]. I live in Hole municipality [3]about 45 kilometers westbound Oslo.

In addition to challenges at work, collaborate with colleagues and friends are an essential part of my life also to keep in physical activity. Whether different forms of work on the farm in valley of Numedal or more disorganized activity through sport.

My childhood and youth - where I grew up

I grew up in Hole municipality, at a small place called Vik. Hole municipality is a traditional "fare away suburb" from Oslo. Nearest cities are Drammen and Kongsberg and the absolute nearest city is Hønefoss, approximately 10 kilometers from where lived as child.

Large parts of Hole municipality consists of water. Both in terms of forest lakes in northern forest but not least, the lakes Steinsfjorden and Tyrifjorden where Tyrifjorden is Norway 5 largest lake (http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_over_norske_innsj%C3%B8er), with down to 300 m deep at its deepest. These waterways, including the Great River and lake Randsfjorden river (4th largest lake in Norway) which connects lake Randsfjorden and lake Tyrifjorden together is much used by local populations in Hole, Ringerike and Jevnaker, but also as recreation for much of the population in Eastern Norway.

Hole municipality has about 5500 inhabitants. The municipality is centrally located at the region Østlandet and natural arenas to engage in sport or for physical development. With natural arenas, I think when that part of the municipality is located in Northmarka, where about 250 000 people use the forest on a fine example “Ski Sunday”. Hole municipality's portion of the Northern forest you will find again in the form of recreation places like Sollihøgda, Kleivstua (http://www.dvgl.no/vis.asp?ID=6), and in the neighboring municipality of Ringerike in the form of places called Damtjern and Ringkollen (http://www.skiforeningen.no/markadb/showstue.cgi?id=8&all=1), which are important portals into the northern wilderness area of Nordmarka.

My education and career

I am educated from Norwegian Army Military Academy, and have also been fellow in Change Management programmee for 2 years between 1993-1995. Additional to this I have done part time studies at BI, Norwegian School of Management between 1986 - and 1990, before I now in January 2009 started as student again, age 49, with EMBA studies at BI (http://bi.no) and ESCP Europe (http://escpeurope.eu). I have been that lucky that I have had my career both in governmental sector (as officer after Military Academy), in NGO (Norwegian Football Association (http://fotball.no), and finally since 1997 in private sector in various management positions.

The importance of sports in my life

Physical activity through sport has meant a lot to me, both professionally and for my own well-being. I started already in elementary school (http://www.vik.gs.bu.no/) with various forms of physical activity in the form of cross country, ski-jumping and football. Versatility has been and is an important moment in my physical display.

For my own part, lake Steinsfjorden and lake Tyrifjorden, with rivers and Forest-lakes alway has always been an important part of my recreation and exercise. Both in terms of swimming and playing in the water in the younger days but not least in the form of physical activity as active water skiing, and in recent years - the active use of the kayak. Like most of the municipalities that also have Hole municipality's own sports teams. IL Holeværingen (ILH). Per 2009 are about 25% of the municipality's population members in IL, and with its approximately 1400 member’s scorer IL Holeværingen high on the list as one of the largest sports clubs, measured in number of members related to the municipality's population.

The club in my heart

IL Holeværingen (http://home.online.no/~paaad/index.htm) was founded in March 1895, and is thus also the one of the country's oldest. ILH (abridged) is a member of the Norwegian Confederation of Sports (www.nif.no), through the county of Buskerud Sports Association, and is thus also subject to Norwegian Sports Federations laws. ILH is a multi-sports club where you (2009) have separate teams for football, cross country, jumping, Childs sports and handball. ILH has a separate house committee. The house committee manage the rental of the clubhouse, which was established in Svendsrud on Røyse, in 1992. Thus, a relatively new clubhouse, where the area includes several grass football pitches which is regarded as one of the county of Buskeruds finest football facilities. In 2005 it was build a handball arena in connection with the ILH sports centre so also Handball in ILH has good growth and training conditions, as well as children sport.

Famous athletes from my Club

The Ski-groups cross country and jumping, using preferably the nature created the arena that are among Northmarka (http://www.aktivioslo.no/nordmarka.php). There are several established trail routes for cross-country which such as Skiforeningen maintains. The starting point for cross-country group in the ILH is the Kleivstua, which is a relatively snow-secure area, with trail routes throughout Northmarka, but not least, several routes with lighted trails that are in active use in winter. Cross-country group is also great use of Ringkollen ski resort with one of eastern Norway's finest resorts. Here are lighted trail routes cross country, enormous opportunities for other cross-country routes, jumping facilities, skiing and snowboarding facilities, ski games country etc. ILH cross country team is a part of this via Ski collaboration with Ringkollen Ski Club. The Ski jump group in ILH was more active after World War II and had its peak until about 1980, where IL Holværingen had many top ski jumpers who claimed themselves nationally and internationally. Cross-country group in the ILH has also fostered many well known top runners and especially from our time mentioned "Gjerdalen brothers" (http://www.stayer.com/index.php?id=76) who have achieved and claims in the top-level national and international (World Cup, Olympics, etc.). The 3 brothers are also a very good example of how elite sport and education can be combined in the sense that all the brothers have studied / are studying to medical doctors.

What my club has given me - paybacktime for me

The Soccer Group is the largest in the ILH with about 450 active players of all ages. ILH has traditionally been good to arrange for girls soccer and currently has about 15 layers of which the Woman’s A team has asserted itself in the top series for women in Norway. Girl Football has also fostered players who have participated in football under the auspices of the Norwegian Football Association. Currently playing it too many national players from the ILH football in the top division in Norwegian men's football, "Premier League". But first and foremost the ILH is a sports club for the masses.

IL Holeværingen has given me a lot both as an active athlete in several sports throughout childhood and to this day. My shape to "pay back" for all arrangements for active sports, safe upbringing and socialization, and companionship, has been that I as an adult has had a number of key positions in the club. This is both as a coach and leader of the age specific soccer team, co-host of national championships under the auspices of IL Holeværingen and not least as chairman of the board of the football in the ILH and through this assignment also a member of the Executive Board of ILH in several years. This has also given me a lot, in many ways that also helped to characterize me as an adult and not least in connection with work.