KRISSE

My name is Kristoffer Hjärtström, I am 32 years old. I was born in the northern part of Sweden, almost at the Arctic Circle, in a town called Harads. I was never the biggest, but I grew up to be 188cm tall and weigh around 87kg. I have always been drawn to the extreme. Might be cliché, but that's the way I see it. Later in life I've managed to concentrate this into things and sports I can do in my backyard. Like running, cross-country skiing and backcountry skiing.

You know that feeling, when you hear something and you almost certainly know "I will do that", even though it might seem far off then. For me this thing was Red Bull Nordenskiöld. It was something that sounded so crazy, but somehow exciting. For a few years, I just let it slip by, but it kept knocking on my shoulder, saying "you know I'm here, right?"
So, last winter I decided, screw it, let's go! What's stopping me? The conclusion was that nothing is stopping me. Preparation started around March and in June I signed up.

There are a few people without whom this wouldn't be possible. Naima, my girlfriend, who is constantly pushing me. She stays positive towards this goal and my investment in it. She is also a cross-country skier with way broader knowledge than I have. My mom and dad are always there for me and keep me fed on the days when I have to put in long training hours. And my dog never says no to a training session, whether it is cross-country skiing, running or biking. Always up for the task!