ahikeforlife.com
Background for the attempt
About me
I'm an adventurous girl who loves to challenge myself and try new things. I was born in Tromsø, have lived in Austria and Switzerland, but mainly grew up at Eidsvoll Verk. Here I have lived with my sister, my Norwegian mother and German father. My father spent large parts of his childhood in the mountains of Bolivia and in Costa Rica, and I have probably got my love for adventure from my German family. We had a lively home with lots of projects going on, and I have been lucky to see and experience much of the world growing up.
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I've been told that I climbed bookshelves before I could walk, and was always very active, curious and full of new band-aids. I tried out various sports, before it was pole vaulting that became my great passion.
A broken back (2016) put an end to my ability to continue jumping, so I had to adjust and rethink. Life was no longer about collecting first places or medals, but about having a body that allowed me to be active again.
The inspiration
I come from a mountain loving family, and was on my first peak just two months old. From my childhood, I have many funny memories of mountain hikes with cookies for dinner and a slightly too small tent. Throughout my upbringing, I have been told inspiring stories from the mountains, and when it comes to climbing, my grandpa , Opa, is my biggest idol. Opa has now put his hiking boots up on the shelf, but he still happily tells stories from his climbing days. There were some peaks he didn't reach in his climbing career, so one day I decided to give him an experience of a lifetime: I wanted to climb the Seven Summits - and I wanted to do it together with him.
My first mountain peak
Opa-my big idol!
The adventure begins….and ends
In November 2018, I started the long journey with the goal of climbing the Seven Summits, and Opa was with me all the way - in my backpack. I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, and after that Mt. Everest base camp.......and there it stopped.
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Unfortunately, everything stopped with the corona, and I had to put the whole project on hold. I started to study veterinary medicine, and didn't have much time to do other things besides my studies. My spare time was often used for long runs, which had now become my new passion. I was so happy and grateful that my body finally let me run again!
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The accident
In November (2021), life took a dramatic turn. I was hit by a car when biking on my way to university. Within a second, life was suddenly turned upside down. I was thrown four meters into the air and landed straight on the asphalt, which resulted in several serious injuries. I went from being an active student to needing full time care. This was a big and difficult transition for me, but I quickly decided to try to make the best of the situation. I dreamed of getting back into my running shoes and hiking boots as soon as possible, and already in hospital I sat myself a goal to use as motivation: I wanted to be able to run 100 km through four countries in one day. I managed to achieve this goal in the summer of 2022 when I ran through Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, after only two months of training. During the race, I also raised money for the Hospital Clowns, because I wanted to give something back for all the encouragement and support I received during my recovery. This inspired me and gave me ideas for new projects.
Running 100km through four countries in one day:
The finish line in Switzerland!
Time to think alternatively
After being hit by a car, I got a whole new perspective on life. I have learned that life is fragile and that you never know what tomorrow will bring. Life is too short to give up on big dreams. After the accident, my parents bought me a treadmill so they could monitor me during training in case something happened. The treadmill quickly became my new best friend, and I got a lot of time planning new projects on my countless runs. How could I complete my dream of climbing the Seven Summits now? Due to the head injuries caused by the accident, it's currently too risky for me to stay at high altitudes in real life. One day I got a fantastic idea how I could realize the big dream and at the same time be in safe surroundings. I want to "climb" the Seven Summits on a treadmill!
We keep in touch on FaceTime
Why is this record attempt so important to do right now?
Ever since I was little I have received a GUINNESS WORLD OF RECORDS™ book for Christmas. Oma, my German grandma, and I often looked through it together when I was younger. We tried to beat various records such as stuffing marshmallows in the mouth and stacking towers of toilet paper, without any impressive results. Our big dream was to set a real record that could be approved by Guinness. Therefore, I'm very happy to tell that I have been approved for attempting the title "The fastest time to climb the Seven Summits on a treadmill" by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™! Today Opa is 95 years old, and both my grandparents' health has recently been unstable. The combination of corona, my accident and the fact that we live in different countries has made it difficult to see them as much as I want. My biggest wish is that Oma and Opa will be able to experience this attempt. Therefore, it is extremely important to me to try to set this Guinness World Record now.
Is it too early?
I have received several questions whether this world record attempt is too ambitious so early. I have had corona three times in the last six months and my body has been through a lot lately. Well, I think you'll never feel quite ready to climb the Seven Summits, but life is too short not to take the chances you get. Knowing what it's like to barely be able to walk, every step now feels like a victory. I'm fully prepared to give everything to set this world record for my family, but most importantly for myself and as a tribute to everything the body is capable of.
A good cause
Every day I'm reminded of what the accident has done to my body, and I'm still dependent on treatment for some of the injuries. But all in all, I feel incredibly lucky and grateful to actually have a body that allows me to be active and to study again. The accident inspired me to change my field of studies. I have been through a lot of hospital and dental treatment, and I'm now studying to become one of the superheroes who saved my life. This is something that I find very rewarding. I have plans for the future, which involves working in extreme medicine and spreading knowledge about life-saving first aid.
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I want to use this opportunity to raise money for the matter of my heart, and that's why I'm having a fundraising for Doctors Without Borders. I have chosen to call my project "A hike for life", and want to inspire others to climb their own "mountains", push their own boundaries and never give up on their big dreams, even if the road to get there may seem long and difficult. In addition, I want to support life saving work to everyone regardless of background and circumstances. In other words: A hike for life!
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- A very grateful Sofie
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Photo: Stefan Krauss