Norway's handball community celebrated a double triumph at the prestigious Idrettsgalla 2025 gala, as two of the sport's most iconic figures received top national awards in the Scandinavian country. 

Left wing Camilla Herrem was named Role Model of the Year (Årets Forbilde), while Katrine Lunde was voted Name of the Year (Årets Navn) by the public, capping extraordinary careers with fitting recognition.

Lunde's prize came mere weeks after her final international competition at the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship, where the legendary goalkeeper earned the All-Star goalkeeper honours for the second time and for the first time since 2017.

She led Norway to their fifth world title with a competition-leading 48% save efficiency and 87 saves, 14 of which came in the final against Germany, securing her seventh World Championship medal – and the third gold one. 

Lunde's 22 major medals at major international events – Olympic Games, World Championships and European Championships and seven Champions League titles cement her as one of handball's greatest ever players to ever don the court. 

She faced a stiff competition, against the Norway men’s football national team, which made the World Cup after 28 years, star chess players Magnus Carlsen, and cross-country stars like Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, Lunde earned the plaudits for the second time in her career and called it "completely unexpected... a fantastic way to end a long handball career. I am very touched and humbled to receive this award."

Lunde was voted by the public, on the NRK platforms – the Norwegian state-owned broadcasting company.

Herrem received the Role Model of the Year award for her courageous battle with breast cancer diagnosed in summer 2025. Despite chemotherapy, the 38-year-old returned to play for hometown club Sola HK in the REMA 1000-liga and Champions League, scoring four goals in her season opener – a 29:25 win over Oppsal. She is Sola’s top scorer in the European premium competition, with 44 goals.

With 17 major medals including two Olympic golds (London 2012 and Paris 2024) and six EHF EURO titles, Herrem used her platform for openness and playing despite her health issues: "I believe in being honest and real, showing both the highs and the lows," she told IHF in an exclusive interview back in September. The jury praised her for fostering understanding around illness in and beyond sport.