Magnus first stepped into a gymnastics class at just six years old.
“I started training gymnastics in the kids’ group when I was six years old,” Magnus recalled. “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 mainstream environment. Special Olympics Iceland National Director Anna Karólína Vilhjálmsdóttir noticed and helped him find a welcoming community through Special Olympics.
From Gymnastics to the Big Screen
“He tried to step aside,” she explained, “and we had, in the same hall, a Special Olympics gymnastics training group. So, he started to meet up 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 found not only a place to train, but a sense of belonging and acceptance.
“I felt like I was one of the people,” he said. “I found myself in a group of people with Special Olympics and special needs.”
Through sport, Magnus discovered confidence 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 said. “Me and my friend were filming talk shows, interviews, and fun videos on my iPad.”
As his interest in video and photography grew, Anna encouraged him to put those skills to use within their team.
“Because I knew he was learning about video and photography,” Anna shared, “I asked if he would use that skill to collect photos and videos from our group. He’s one of the key people in that group today.”
Magnus’s work quickly stood out. In 2018, he was asked to create a promotional video for Special Olympics Iceland ahead of the World Games in Abu Dhabi.
“I was very nervous,” Magnus admitted, “but I wanted to try.”
The video turned heads. Icelandic television producers saw his work and reached out with a professional opportunity.
“They said, ‘Hey, Magnus, you’re very talented. Can you work with us?’” Magnus remembered. “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 said proudly. “I’ve been to the 2023 Summer Games in Berlin filming for Icelandic TV, and I made a documentary in Turin, Italy, that was shown in cinemas.”
Anna describes Magnus’s journey as a reflection of what inclusion in sport can truly achieve.
“We look at this as a side effect of sport,” she said. “Because he started as a gymnast, he was given opportunities that led to film. It’s not just about the physical training, it’s about what you get out of it as a human being.”
For Magnus, the message he hopes to share with others is simple:
“Special Olympics and gymnastics helped me to go to the top of the cinema,” he said.
“I hope people can learn that people with disabilities can do everything. If people can dream, and nothing can stop them, then everything 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 inclusion, perseverance, and hope for others to see.
