After months of training inside a giant fridge, Sia Kindberg is ready to run an Arctic race only a third of competitors complete.
At -20C, exposed skin inside the giant fridge feels so cold it burns. Yet, the Arctic terrain Sia Kindberg is about to spend five days running across will grow even colder. Most winter days in Swedish Lapland, the temperature drops to -40C. On 20 February, the 42-year-old will be the first Australian woman to compete in the Arctic Ice Ultramarathon. It’s a race so gruelling that only 33 per cent of competitors complete it.
Little things that shouldn't become a thing, become a big thing in that environment," she adds. They're conditions almost impossible to imagine as Kindberg recalls being dumped by a big wave at the beach while training on the sand in her snowshoes in January, as Australia sweltered through summer. Despite being a seasoned runner, with at least 20 ultramarathons under her belt, Kindberg admits the terrain of the Arctic Ice Ultra had her terrified to sign up.