Magnus first entered a gymnastics class when he was six years old.
“I started gymnastics in the children’s group when I was six years old,” Magnus remembers. “And I was the only one in the group who had a disability.”
As he grew older, Magnus began to experience anxiety that made it difficult to continue in the regular environment. Special Olympic Games Iceland National Director Anna Karólína Vilhjálmsdóttir noticed and helped him find a welcoming community through Special Olympics.
From gymnastics to the big screen
“He was trying to step aside,” she explained, “and we had a Special Olympics gymnastics training group in the same room. So he started meeting with that group and that was the step into Special Olympics.”
That step turned out to be life-changing. When Magnus joined Special Olympics Iceland, he not only found a place to train, but also a sense of belonging and acceptance.
“I felt like I was one of the people,” he said. “I was in a group of people with Special Olympics and special needs.”
Through sports, Magnus discovered trust and community, and soon a new passion began to take shape behind the camera.
“I started filming for myself when I was eight years old,” he says. “Me and my boyfriend were filming talk shows, interviews and fun videos on my iPad.”
As his interest in video and photography grew, Anna encouraged him to use those skills within their team.
“Knowing that he was learning about video and photography,” Anna said, “I asked if he would use that skill to collect photos and videos of our group. He is one of the most important people in that group today.”
Magnus’ work quickly caught the eye. In 2018 he was asked to make a promotional video ahead of the Special Olympics Iceland World Games in Abu Dhabi.
“I was very nervous,” Magnus admitted, “but I wanted to try.”
The video attracted attention. Icelandic television producers saw his work and offered him a professional opportunity.
“They said, ‘Hey, Magnus, you’re very talented. Can you work with us?'” Magnus recalled. “I said yes – and then the ball started rolling.”
That collaboration led to more projects, including a national TV show, and in 2022 Magnus officially launched his own production company, MOA Productions.
“I started my own company,” he says proudly. ‘I went to the 2023 Summer Games in Berlin filming for Icelandic television, and I made a documentary in Turin, Italy, which was shown in cinemas.”
Anna describes Magnus’ journey as a reflection of what inclusion in sport can really achieve.
“We consider this a side effect of exercise,” she says. “Because he started as a gymnast, he got opportunities that led to film. It’s not just about the physical training, it’s about what you get out of it as a person.”
For Magnus, the message he hopes to share with others is simple:
“Special Olympics and gymnastics helped me rise to the top of cinema,” he said.
“I hope people can learn that people with disabilities can do anything. If people can dream and nothing can stop them, then anything is possible.”
Through Special Olympics he found his place in the world, a platform for his voice and a camera lens that now captures stories of inclusivity, perseverance and hope for others to see.
#gymnastics #big #screen