Today, Arne Hegerfors is 80 years old.
In a major interview with Sportbladet, the TV legend tells of the difficult battle with illness, a near-death experience, and a bad conscience toward his wife Christine.
– I offered her to leave me.
TV legend Arne Hegerforce He led the Swedish people through countless tournaments, World Cups and individual sporting achievements.
In short, he referred to a large part of the history of Swedish sport as we know it, from cyclist Bernt Johansson’s memorable parade at the 1976 Olympics to the terrible tragedy at Heysel Stadium in Brussels during the 1985 European Cup final in which 39 people died.
Add to that he has been managing TV entertainment for a long time and has succeeded with “Kryzz” with Björn Skifs and “There Will Be More” as he did with Martin Timell and then Anders Lundin.
On July 4, Arne Hegerforce turned 80, a respectable age that made him begin to philosophize about the life path.
It is disgusting to notice how everyone around me is dying. Like Goran Zachrisson, Sven Melander and Tommy Engstrand. It’s sad when we meet on the show floor in Stockholm, says Hegerfors, where he has lived since the 1980s.
His wife Christine was present during the interview, and Arnie repeatedly spoke about how important she was to him in all respects.
I definitely live thanks to Kristen, she makes sure I at least ride an exercise bike at some point.
Have you lived carelessly before?
– Yes, I did. The best, I didn’t abuse alcohol and cigarettes much, but I wasn’t the one who slept in time and didn’t exercise much, but I lived carelessly, you might say. Thanks to Kristen, she corrected herself. It was nice to meet the sports teacher.
“I became a pro at speaking instead”
In your early years, were you a promising soccer player?
– It’s actually my older brother Stor that’s the biggest reason I’ve become who I am. He introduced me to the world of sports, he was even captain of my soccer team when I played. It has created so much interest in sports that I can live strangely. Dad said he was a little worried, I should learn. I said it would work, I would go pro, but I didn’t. I became a pro at speaking instead. It turned out to be better, I could do longer.
So you are not sad about your football career?
No, it was great to be able to live through their great interest and go to all the World Cups and get paid for it. I was incredibly lucky. If I had to live my life over again, I would probably choose the life I had.
In 2011 I had an acute heart attack, six months later I had a stroke and then had a brain tumor. But here you sit?
– It’s got blasts with the advancement of medical science. I had a stroke, a heart attack and a brain tumour. Before, one of each died, but suddenly all three could survive.
What were you thinking when you were in the middle of this disease?
– Maybe I was just thinking of surviving. I know that at some point I was convinced I was dead because I ended up in heaven or where I was now somewhere. It was a large white room with velvet and it was very quiet. Then I realized I was in the death waiting room where Sven Stolp’s book was called and I also realized that there was no greater danger than death. On the contrary, it was a very pleasant experience to be floating in something shining.
Then I stopped being afraid of death.
Did you lose a certain fear of death because of that experience?
– Yes, I can probably say that. It was a beautiful and relaxing experience. Then I stopped being afraid of death.
But it was just a dream of course?
– Yes, it was a dream, but it is very clear. When I finally woke up, I was so amazed that I was alive, not left there.
Kerstin fills:
– You spoke about this very clearly. I wonder if it was during the time you were sedated during the brain tumor operation.
Do you think a lot about death today?
– I did, but I probably don’t do it much anymore.
What does your daily life look like?
I slept happily for a long time. I’m as good as you can get. I watch TV and listen to music. Then there will probably be a picnic.
Christine:
– I am trying to show Arne in the gym in Sofia on TV, but he is very reluctant. This isn’t really a thing.
Do you get anything from the apartment?
– I take different walks so I get some fresh air. I can’t go out by myself because I can’t see because I don’t have wide-angle vision. It’s God’s help that I was able to keep my eyesight straight forward, so thanks I can watch TV. My wife says that was the only thing she did before too, so it makes no difference.
His son Bjorn works at Spotify
How many TV viewings per day?
– There are likely to be many. I also listen to a lot of music. My son Bjorn works on Spotify so I can listen to music from all over the world. I listen to old favorites from the past, Elvis Presley, Elton John, Willon Jennings, and a lot of country and jazz.
We read that when you and Kirsten met, did you listen a lot to Elton John’s “Your Song”?
– Yes, that’s great. It somehow became our song. It’s still very good, it keeps going.
Please ask how did you meet?
This is where Christine takes charge.
– You and she who I used to know will take out her husband on Maxim when Bovel Rammel performs. It was like a blind date. This was in September 1978. I said no because I was going to my parents in Bulnas. But I was convinced so I called my dad and said I’d go to Bovell Ramel and it looks like Arne Hegerforce will join her. “Oh, it’s so cute. You can go home another weekend,” said the mother.
We usually thank the mother-in-law, says Arne Hegerfors and laughs.
Then it was clear, right?
– It wasn’t entirely clear because I was partly older and had children from previous marriages, but for them it wasn’t a problem. For Kirsten, this has been an issue for some time. She didn’t know if it would work and she was only 25 years old. It’s been 11 years between us, so it was also one thing to keep in mind.
We’ve talked a few times before about your bad memory, is it constant or is it getting worse?
– It’s probably fixed. If you were to ask what month, I could look out the window and think it might be spring or fall, but it looks like it’s spring. Maybe april.
Without Christine’s help, I’m helpless, I can’t do it. Both perception of time and space is weak. But I still feel good anyway.
Should you have offered Christine to leave because of all this?
– Yes, I did. I tried to put myself in her position and think how I would have done in a similar situation. I was probably thinking, “Why can’t I live my life? Why should I live yours?” When I thought about it, I offered Kristen not to feel chained because I can’t do anything, but of course she has to live her life.
“I’m really happy”
How do you take such an offer, Christine?
– I replied that there was no thinking about it. No, to leave this and to show me it will be put in a house, it is not possible. I have an assignment here.
Arnie fills in:
– It’s a nice way to look at it.
It amazes us that you feel incredibly positive in the midst of all this?
Maybe I’ve always looked at life positively. No matter what happened to me, I didn’t let it make me lose my temper or the spark of life.
I’ve been through so much misery for a relatively short time, it should be easy to think “why am I in all this” and feel a little bitter?
Yes, but that is not the case at all. Perhaps I am somewhat thankful that medical science is keeping pace with me or I was a bit ahead of me so miraculously I was able to make it happen. Also the good thing about having a bad memory is that I don’t remember these horrible operations that I described to myself. They entered and posted in the head or what they did.
If you think about your TV career, because you remember things that happened in the past, what are your thoughts?
– I was fortunate enough to have Lars-Gunnar Björklund as a teacher. Hyland was brilliant in the details, what happened in time and place, but Björklund introduced another dimension which is humor and lightness. Without them, I would not have become what I have become.
In conclusion, would you say that you are happy today?
– Yes, I’m really happy and that’s thanks to Kristen.