My name is Samson Olsen. I'm first and foremost a child of God and a follower of Jesus Christ. Without Him, I wouldn't be where I am today.
Even though I always dreamed of becoming a professional volleyball player, people told me I'm too short and lacked skill. I didn't want to believe them. I was delusional. People admired my passion, but rolled their eyes behind the scenes. That's not something I hold against anyone, because the odds weren't on my side, and people say what they believe will happen. But I thank them every day for the motivation.
Slowly, but surely, I figured out that it's not the end goal that keeps me going. It's the process. I'd like to play in Italy one day. but I'm not there yet, and I'm not going to beat myself up until I'm there. Because if I do, what happens when then?
High achievers aren't pushed into mastery. They're pulled by intrinsic interest. I've always enjoyed volleyball, and to this day, that's what keeps me going. "Enjoy the progress in the game you play, not the money you make".
I'm born and raised in Bergen, Norway, by a Canadian dad and a Norwegian mom. I love my family and am lucky enough to have families in two amazing countries.
I played in TIF Viking (formerly Nyborg VBK) from the age of 9 until I was 20.
After that, I moved to Canada to pursue my volleyball dreams whilst combining it with academic ambitions. I set for the Mount Royal University Cougars in Calgary for two seasons.
In the fall of 2024 I moved to Switzerland and played for TSV Jona for a year.
In the fall of 2025 I moved to the Netherlands to join PDK Huizen in the Dutch Eredivisie.
When I was 15, I got picked to play with Norway U17 and got to represent my country for the first time ever. I'll never forget this moment, and how much it meant to me to play with the flag on my chest. I kept on playing for Norway's youth and junior national team programs until I finished high school.
In 2022, when I was 20 years old, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to try out for Team Norway's Men's National team. I made the cut, and played with them the whole summer of 2022. Since then I've been on the roster and travelled with Team Norway every summer. Club volleyball is played during the fall and spring, and then national team season happens during the summer.
I started a Bachelor in Physiotherapy in Bergen after high school, and I loved it. Sadly enough, Physio is a separate Master's degree in Canada, so I changed to a Bachelor of Health and Physical Education instead. Finally, I'm finishing up a Bachelor degree in Sports Science at the Norwegian School of Sports Science.
