Helga Øvsthus is married to the former Norwegian biathlete Gisle Fenne and has two sons and a daughter with him. The son Thomas took part in a junior biathlon world championship, the daughter Hilde Fenne ran in the biathlon world cup between 2012 and 2018. Øvsthus started for Bjørgum IL. Internationally, she made her first appearance at the 1987 World Cup in Lahti, Finland , where she reached a 28th place in the individual. Øvsthus Fenne took part in the World Cup irregularly from the first World Cup season , in which women were also allowed to start. In the first season she achieved her best results in Jyväskylä with two first places in the sprint and with the relay, together with Synnøve Thoresen and Elin Kristiansen . At the 1988 World Cup in Chamonix , France , she achieved another top ten placement with seventh place in the sprint. At Norwegian Championships she was victorious for the province of Hordaland in 1988 and 1990 with the relay, in 1994 she won the team title. The only podium in an individual race she achieved with third place in 1986 Geilo behind Siv Bråten-Lunde and Sanna Grønlid . Helga Øvsthus Fenne lives in Voss, where she runs a shop with cosmetic products.