Mikaela Söhnchen is an adventurer and problem solver from Gothenburg who puts great focus in challenging herself. She wants to prioritize her body and love for adventure, but she still has great focus for her technology consulting company. In addition, she wants to encourage others to get up from the couch.

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Mikaela has a background she believes that many can identify with. As a child she tried to play sports often but growing older most of it ran out in the sand, and she lived on old merits.     

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– These days I take more advantage of life!

She wanted to put her own stamina to the test

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Her lust for adventure was awakened during a lecture about humankind as endurance animals. There, Mikaela realized that humans are designed to get around with their own power during long distances and periods. Just then, she did not recognize herself with the lecture since she mostly moved between home and her office. She decided to try her own endurance, resulting in an adventure in Austria six months later.

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Austria 30/15+1

Mikaela has roots in Austria and therefore chose to make her big adventure there; by running 300 km for 15 days and climb a mountain top – all on her own.     

           – After that experience adventures in life feels as natural as air in your lungs.

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Navigating and limited luggage – the biggest challenges

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One of the biggest challenges during the adventure was to navigate. Mikaela had maps and a predetermined route, but changes in weather made her constantly having to adapt the chosen path.

– Without previous experience from orientation, I learned to navigate the hard way, that is, I went the wrong way several times. Her pack was also a great challenge.

For the expedition Mikaela travelled light with a backpack weighing just 8kg. It was challenging coping with a limited amount of clothes especially when the weather kept changing from sunshine to storm and pouring rain on a mountaintop 3,000 meters above sea level.

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Challenge herself to feel better in her everyday life

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Mikaela says that we all sit on lots of potential that rarely get used. She says that the society we live in challenges us in several ways on a daily basis but mostly by outside expectations. This does not always lead to positive change and many feel bad instead.

– Therefore, for me, challenges in experiences and adventures has contributed to the promotion of my potential, which also made me feel better. We can do more than we think!

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Adventure takes planning, preparation and time

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The most important thing to think about planning is that it takes time, more time than you imagine, says Mikaela.

– Starting in advance is necessary. If you want to do a particularly challenging adventure, it is equally important to enjoy the planning as it it to enjoy the actual adventure. However, not everything can be plan ahead, but one can be prepared!

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Important being reachable

Having the right safety equipment and knowing how to react in emergency situations is of course important, even more important if you are doing a solo adventure.

– In Austria, I brought equipment that made it possible to use my iPhone for satellite calls and thus I always had coverage in the mountains.

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Learn how to stay motivated

– Being on an adventure involves lots of great feelings like freedom, fatigue and joy.

But Mikaela says that everyday life can easily make you lose your passion for planning, training, or to call that sponsor you desire. Over time, she has learned strategies to maintain motivation and momentum, which has helped her in many other contexts.

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Practice your risk awarness for increased equality within action sports

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Equality within action sports has improved over time, Mikaela says, but there is still much more to be done. Basically, she thinks it is about people’s attitude towards what different sexes can achieve.

– In my world real power does not always have to do with muscle and therefore gender feels completely uninteresting. I think we are lacking female role models. The lack of role models is has a part in diminishing us girls easily and prevents us from taking up space.

Mikaela also believe that another reason for this may be about women’s risk awareness. But being risk-aware she believes is a positive thing, which however needs to be supplemented with knowledge and training.

– If we create the conditions for it, I think we quickly will get to see more girls on the waters and mountains.

 

”Whatever you may wanna try, you have to start somewhere!”

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Mikaela says that her best feature is the fact that she is unafraid of trying new things. In recent years she has tried everything from diving to ice climbing. With a little coaching from someone more experienced and with the right equipment, it is relatively easy to try a new activity, she says. What is required is that you can go from idea to action, which is something Mikaela is good at – not just in adventures, but also in her own company.

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Sailor and skier since early childhood. Today Mikaela combines the two elements with snow kiting. 

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Skiing became natural for Mikaela already as a child since her father is from Austria and worked as a ski instructor there. It taught her not to complain over aching feet, unwaxed skis or frozen fingers. In her early teens Mikaela began sailing ”Optimist”, a type of dinghy. When she got older she joined a small sail ship organisation on the west coast and sailed as an instructor for 10 years at youth camps. Nowadays  she sails a H-boat along the coast around Bohuslän.

With the love for wind and water came the idea of ​​kite surfing four years ago. It was not long before Mikaela came up with the idea that the kites could also be used in the mountains and since two years snow kiting has been her new passion.

 

– In the future I want to continue exploring the snow-covered wilderness during longer tours with the kite.

Mikaela loves to travel – when she travels, she appreciates the whole transportation process, and all its experiences along the way. It also shows in her love for personal growth and desire to make her dreams come true. Today Mikaela is working on a new concept, ”Keep Explore” where she would like to encourage more people to get up from the couch and into the woods. Until it is released, you can read more about Mikaela’s adventures on her blog. (in swedish)

 

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Are you planning your next adventure?

Mikaela is a fantastic adventure coach, she is helping us in the planning for our project and she will always comes with great ideas when we are in need of it! With both feet on the ground and high visions. Mikaela really is someone I would recommend for adventure planning, consulting or just general inspiration to start chasing your own dreams! Contact her!