A lifelong enthusiast of physical culture, Valdimar Örnólfsson graduated with degrees in physical education in 1954 and 1956, as well as one in French literature from France’s University of Grenoble in 1957. During that time, he was active in skiing and won national championships in 1952 and 1953, and came in third at the World Student Championships in 1958. He was also selected to represented Iceland in the slalom at the 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo Olympics, but he did not start the event. He did, however, carry the flag in the opening ceremony, a feat that he repeated in 1964 as national team coach.
Valdimar taught physical education and French at several institutions, but most notably in this regard as the athletic director of the University of Iceland, a position that he began in 1967. He also founded a ski school in Kerlingarfjöll, hosted a physical education radio program from 1957 through 1982, and was even active as an actor and choir singer. Administratively, he was chairman of the National Sports Committee from 1971 through 1991, the Icelandic Gymnastics Association from 1968 through 1970, and the Olympic Academy from 1987 through 1997.
Iceland