Katrine Lunde has swapped goalkeeping for a new role in which she hopes to help shape the future of women’s handball. The Norwegian legend is now chairing the IHF Women’s Handball Working Group after ending her playing career earlier this year.
Lunde spent more than two decades between the posts and won virtually everything there is to win, including three Olympic gold medals, three World Championship titles and seven EHF EUROs with Norway. She also lifted the EHF Champions League trophy seven times and collected 21 medals at major international tournaments.
But in an interview with the IHF, Lunde says the trophies are not what she remembers most fondly.
“For me, handball is not to win the trophies. Of course, it’s a really good part. But when I think about it now, when I’m finished, what I miss and what I’m most grateful for is all the people you meet all the way when you’re active.”
Now she wants to use that experience to help make the sport better for the next generation. The IHF Women’s Handball Working Group was established as part of the federation’s Four-Year Plan for Women’s Handball, covering 2026–2029. Lunde chairs a group of eight women from different backgrounds and continents, including former players, coaches, referees and administrators.
“We are eight women with different backgrounds, coming from different continents, and I think that’s one of our greatest strengths. We all want to open the sport up to even more girls and women.”
Motherhood – everything is possible
One of the issues closest to Lunde is combining elite sport and motherhood. Having experienced pregnancy herself during her career, she knows the challenges female players can face when negotiating contracts, communicating with clubs and federations and returning to competition.
“I hope that we are many now who are showing that everything is possible. You can be a good player, a good referee or a coach, whatever you want. And you can still have kids, your family life, and get it to be one unit.”
Retirement has not completely severed Lunde’s connection with the court, either. She is now working as a goalkeeper coach and admits that seeing her former Norway teammates reunite can still make her miss playing.
“When I read social media, all my friends are going together with the national team. I’m not part of this anymore. Then I feel like – oh, I really miss it.”
Her focus, however, is now on what comes next. The working group aims to create better pathways for retiring players into coaching, refereeing and administration, while also showing young girls the different opportunities available within handball. Lunde knows the challenges are different across the world, but the ambition is shared.
“We want to create something that benefits the entire sport. We know we have to move one step at a time, but our overall goal is clear – to inspire more girls and women to become involved in handball.”