January 21, 2008 · 02:44 PM

20 Seconds of Joy

Digital worlds create opportunities for escapism. However, in the "first life" as well, people are longing for "kicks" to escape. Extreme sports, where men and nature become one, are an example for that trend.

Speaking is Karina Hollekim from Norway. She loves risk and is a professional free-skier and the only professional base jumper from the Skandinavian state. Last year, she had to stay in hospital for more than twelve months after a base-jumping accident. Her parachute did not open. Now, the popular sports girl is preparing for a comeback.

Karina Hollekom's skills, fearlessness, struggles und successes have been documented in several films - one is "20 seconds of joy". In the session with the same name she talks with DLD-Producer Rupert Schäfer from Hubert Burda Marketing & Communications about her passions.

Motivation is one of the topics of Karina Hollekim. Her severe accident caused several fractures, four in her left leg, 21 in right leg and a serious infection. But she never gave up. Confidently, she is looking forward towards her next approach to the mountains. Until that day she is traveling, talking and motivating others.

It could be the motto of the DLD and the future of digital economy. But it is also the motto of the Norwegian: "Nobody knows what's gonna happen tomorrow." For her, it was an accident after a risky base jump. Nevertheless, extreme sports are her job und her passion. "My profession is not something that I do, it is my life."

Hollekom starts explaining the difference between basejumping and normal parachuting. The basejumpers only use one parachute, they don't have any second security.

"I tried the normal life, but finanlly I chose freedom".

Karina formerly worked in an office to earn some money, but says she´s not the 9-to-5 kind of person. So she decided to put her office to the mountains.

Considering what she does while free-skiing and base-jumping, one would assume that Karina entirely lacks fear. But what really disturbs her is indeed being alone in the dark.

She remembers that one day. The day when she wanted to do a basejump in the night and her knees were shivering. She couldn`t move, she coudn`t jump. She was afraid. She went back over the security fence, came back and tried again. This time she flew through the dark mountain air, finally.

No jump is without mortal risks. "You have to expect that dying is a possibility", she explains. "In base-jumping, you are forced into a roller-coaster of emotions." After several jumps she looked for a new challenge: a ski-base jump.

It worked. Everything worked - until August 2006, when she risked a jump from a plane. "The jump was perfect", she remembers. She flew under blue skies. Then, she opened the parachute and already heard the cheers of the crowd on the ground.

A few seconds later, she recognized that something went wrong. "Those were the 15 seconds which changed my life." Without control, she speeded to the ground - and hit a massive rock.
Horrible diagnosis: 21 open fractures in her leg, but she managed to save her back and her head.

Karina had to learn the biggest lesson of her life: "It`s not tough to jump from mountains or skyscrapers. It`s tough to wake up in the morning, in a hospital. It`s tough to be bound to a wheelchair. It`s tough to work hard and train every day to get back on your own feet."

Today, she is standing in front of the audience of DLD and is thinking about her life. Does she regret having gone to such extremes? No, she doesn`t, she is giving herself the answer. Not even if she would still be bound to a wheelchair.

 

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