4,000 Mile Cycling Trip
When I was 16 years old, I biked alone from the North Cape to Gibraltar-- the Northern most point to the Southern most point of Europe. The trip took me seven weeks, was 4,000 miles long, and went through nine countries. I gained sponsors for the trip and updated my Facebook page with 800+ followers about my experiences along the way.
Buddhist Monk
In December 2017, I spent one month as a monk in the Wat Pha Subtawee forest monastery in Thailand. My daily activities involved meditating from 3 am to 6 am, walking through the nearby village barefoot to collect alms, only eating once a day, and doing physical work such cleaning the monastery.
Competitive Swimmer
I dedicated most of my teenage years to swimming and used to train for 5-6 hours every day. At Dynamo Swim Club, the morning practice started everyday at 5 am and although waking up early was not fun, I learned a lot of discipline. I swam competitively for about 11 years, from the age of 8 until the age of 19. I competed nationally in my home country, Finland, and at the state level in the United States.
Rotary Youth Exchange in Thailand
Sophomore year of high school, I was awarded a Rotary Youth Exchange scholarship to study in Thailand for a year. During that year, I lived with a Thai host family, became fluent in Thai, attended a local school, and became totally immersed in Thai culture.
