Armand Duplantis was deeply affected when the mother of family friend Anna Forsberg went missing in 2018.
Despite numerous search efforts, it was never found.
Mundo is now an ambassador for Missing People, who have done an amazing job of researching.
– It was a tough time, not only for Anna, but also for me, so it was clear to say yes when she asked me, Mundo tells Sportbladet.
It is a hitherto completely unknown chapter in Mundo’s life that made him accept the honorary assignment with Missing Persons.
It was his breakout summer in 2018, which ended with him breaking the 6-meter dream limit for the first time and taking the gold in Berlin.
But few people know how affected he was by the disappearance of Anna Forsberg’s mother Ingegerd that summer.
Before celebrating the Diamond League in Paris, he wrote Ingegerd Forsberg’s missing name on his forearm and added a heart.
– Yes, I wanted to show my support in this way, as I was very close to the family and saw how it affected them, he says.
He is now a proud ambassador for Missing Persons with names like Björn Ulvaeus, Jill Johnson and artist Lars Lerin. For example, but not limited.
It feels good to be able to help an organization that I really believe in and admire. Mondo says: I’ve seen first-hand what a great job they do.
Relations with Anna Forsberg are strong.
– Yes, she is one of the closest family friends. She was always there. She was a discus thrower and she and her mother were followed from Uppsala to LSU in Louisiana. She has visited us many times and we are her.
Anna Forsberg is also a well-known name in athletics circles.
Not only because she has been active herself, but perhaps because she still stands as a branch leader and in charge of all major athletics competitions in Sweden.
Commitments that have helped distract her since her 80-year-old mother, Ingegerd, went for a walk on a rainy evening in Terbe in June 2018 — and vanished without a trace.
– Yes, she was always outside and was in good physical shape, despite her age. This was a day before midsummer and she had yet to be found. Anna Forsberg says it’s a mystery.
– The police searched for a week and contacted the missing persons, who continued the search. Still looking, the last time was this spring. They were absolutely wonderful. They want us at the end of the family which is a terrible feeling when you don’t know. It is a surreal feeling that a person can disappear without a trace.
Missing Persons have been heavily involved in the search and Anna has made it her life’s work to raise funds for the organization in various contexts, in which the entire Duplantis family has been involved and contributed.
And last fall, the seed was planted to ask Duplantis if he wanted to be one of the People’s Missing Ambassadors.
But she did not take the last step until days later.
– Yeah, there aren’t really any bad names, but I felt it might be nice to bring in a young athlete too, especially someone as famous as Mundo. Anna says it’s a way to pay for everything they’ve done.
And the Armand Duplantis He said yes without hesitation.
– Yes, it is very nice that he is standing. He said it was the least he could do. I’ve known him all these years and watched him grow up and he’s the same person he always has been. Nothing rises to his head. It is calm and fair.
Mundo made a short interlude in Stockholm to be introduced as the new ambassador.
And on Friday, he competes again in the Diamond League gala in Brussels.
