Follow our employee in the Danish version of the TV programme ’Alone’ 

Our employee Henrik Pilgaard Larsen is participating in the Danish version of the TV programme ‘Alone’, which is currently shown on DR1. It is of course something we as a company would like to support. We have interviewed Henrik about the reason he chose this adventure.
You can read more about this below, where Henrik tells about the background for his participation.

What made you apply for participation in the TV programme and how could it be combined with family and work?
I applied to join the TV programme ‘Alone’ because when the show aired last year my wife and my colleague Karina said: “this is so you, you have to apply to be on the show”. First, I refused. I thought it was too extreme and I had a lot of limitations in my head. My first immediate thought was that I can't do that, I have a job I must take care of. There was also a blockade in my head about the fact that I would have to film myself and talk to the camera. I think this is quite nerve wracking. But on the other hand, it would be the ultimate adventure and I had a burning desire. The decisive point was when my wife threatened that she would write to the production company and suggest me as a participant. I thought that would be too embarrassing, so I had to write to them myself.

 

What is your "wilderness" background?
My background for participating in the show is that for many years I have trained basic survival skills on my trips in the Danish forests. The desire to get into nature started in 2008 where I received my certificate for Paragliding. It opened my eyes for being out in the wild and I realized that it wasn’t enough just to fly. Therefore, I started to take hikes in the woods and stay there overnight. At first, I slept in shelters, but later I was caught by a new trend to sleep in a hammock. Today, it has evolved. In addition to hiking in the forest, I also drive mountain bike, sail in kayaks and open water swimming. Thus, all my interests have a pivot in nature.

I have the opportunity here to get the ultimate challenge in being all alone and trying out the skills I have acquired through the years. Can they stand the test?

Usually when I go to the woods here in Denmark I bring food. Having to provide for myself only with what I can find in the nature or catch in the sea, is going to be an exciting challenge.

 

Support from work and family
My first thought was, as mentioned, that I can’t go because I have to work. But when I reached the point in the casting process where it seemed that I could be lucky to be selected, I had to clarify with my workplace whether it was possible that I could take time off indefinitely. Here, I found out that I have an incredibly flexible and understanding workplace. I told my boss: “I've got an idea and it requires me to ask you first. I would really like to participate in ‘Alone’. I know it's an inconvenient time with the huge workload and that it will put additional pressure on my colleagues, but it will mean everything to me to take on this challenge”. My boss replied: "It will always be an inconvenient time, but if there is something you are passionate about, then you have to do it. So, you have our support”.
The only requirement they made was that I must not come home without winning.
My wife supports me 100 percent. She is very proud that I have been selected. My friends thought, "Yes, of course you should!" They know I'm constantly looking for challenges, so they're not surprised.

 

Is there anything you fear or are most looking forward to?
There is not really anything I am afraid of, but I think I will be freezing. So, it's the cold I can see as one of the biggest challenges. Therefore, I make a lot of effort to investigate which outdoor clothing I should choose for the trip. In addition, I am excited to see how my body reacts if I do not get enough food. My primary goal of going is to win over myself. Test my skills and my psyche in relation to being alone, as I am a very social person. Often when I go alone in the woods or on a kayak trip I find myself chatting with my friends on social media, despite my intention to be alone. It will be interesting to see if I'm actually as dependent on social media as I think I am.
I mostly look forward to the silence and that all I do is something I do for myself, not to please anyone else. To try for a while to be completely without expectations from the outside world. I hope that the whole experience will make me wiser about myself as a human being.

 

Henrik has been employed by Nordic Engineering since April 2016 as Project Engineer & QA Manager. He is an incredibly talented and well-liked employee.

In addition to his extensive professional knowledge and experience, he contributes with a fresh, humorous and relaxed atmosphere at the office. Both on the professional and the personal level, it will be a challenge to have to do without him and then indefinitely. But of course, he must seize the opportunity to have an experience for life.

We are all very excited to follow him and are cheering on him all the way.

Jens Juhl Eskildsen, CEO