Risking everything in every clip, this stuntman and the team leader of TV series “Ultimate Expedition” is taking celebrities to the peaks of the world’s highest mountains.
We caught up with Jukka Hilden to find out how his body, mind, soul and nutrition work in tandem to to make him who he is.
Jukka Hilden on how he got his body
I grew up wanting to be a ninja, but in a small town in Finland tipping over sleeping cows, I had to learn everything from movies instead.
So, I pushed myself to learn roundhouse kicks and backflips while spending my summers skateboarding and snowboarding.
That gave me the passion to learn new skills and tricks with my body.
That still drives me today both as a father of two, and as a person who wants to inspire the world to make the days full of effort to become the best me.
My workout and preparation for life and trying to summit a mountain of 20,000 feet was what I liked to do anyway.
I went to Tempest Academy to learn freerunning to build the small supporting muscles, trying to follow a line of flips and tricks behind parkour guys.
For endurance, I did Muay Thai and hiking and hot yoga for stretching (because it brings good balance to body and mind).
Sometimes I go to CrossFit to build muscle and get a competitive atmosphere to push myself and get inspired being around other people pushing their limits.
Mind
When you find motivation – the push or inspiration from your mind – your body can do pretty much anything.
It’s easy to give up when you hit the first struggle, but I always think I’ve got more in me, so I’m proud of pushing a bit further than I expected. I’m in competition against myself.
The biggest courage in life is looking at yourself and understanding who you are. If there are flaws, grab the bull by the horns, be honest with yourself and make a change.
Nutrition
I grew up by eating chocolate and French fries. The older I got, the more aware I became of the importance of nutrition.
Your body is your temple: eating well, exercising and paying attention to your thoughts will make you feel on top of your life.
If there are flaws you want to eliminate, grab the bull by the horns, be honest with yourself and make the change
Baby steps can help you keep up with the long term. For high-altitude mountain climbing, you need a lot of energy, so I made sure I ate enough meat.
At that altitude, just by laying down in your sleeping bag for a day, you’ll burn 3,500 calories.
Soul
I always do my best. That doesn’t necessarily make me win or become the best, but it should always be enough because I’m all about being one with myself and that will help me handle life with respect, courage and understanding.
Not every day is your best day and not everyone is the same, but when you try, that shows you have mind power and a strong will to accomplish great things.
So, my soul is made from a good heart, confidence, anarchy and a childhood spark.
That means that I always mean well, know who I am so I can’t be bullied and challenge any given truths or norms.
Oh, and I also want to be playful!
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