Johanna Davidsson – Solo Sister, Nurse and Adventurer.

Meet Johanna Davidsson – The Swedish nurse, sister, climber, skier, author and adventurer passionate about inspiring women going touring, hiking and exploring the wild. One of her ultimate challenges was her skiing alone to the South Pole. Since sister is the nickname for nurse in Swedish, she took the name "Solo Sister" and carried out the expedition as a fellow sister, as she hoped to make a difference for other nurses. We got the opportunity to have a little chat with her the other week, and this is how it went. 

What do you think is the reason you ended up where you are, and have done all these spectacular adventures? 
It’s hard to say exactly the reason. Sometimes things just happen. But I think that I’ve had a feeling of what I would like to do, and when I’ve had a chance to do something that felt exciting and fun, I’ve done that without thinking too much about what would be more sensible and responsible. The things I’ve done in my life and decisions I’ve made I’ve done and taken because it felt fun. I guess I have followed my heart.

Any specific memory that stands out from the solo expedition to the South Pole?
There are many positive memories from that trip. Of course it was a great feeling when I reached the South Pole. The last days had been tough and when I skied to the Pole it was Christmas and I felt super happy. For such a long time I’ve had the South Pole as a geographic goal and the knowledge of making it was such a great feeling. This was only half way through, so I still had as many kilometers left to kite back to the coast but that was a nice feeling knowing that the adventure was not over yet. 

What tips do you have for women who have never really been in the mountains but are keen to try? Where to start?
Don’t make it too complicated. You don’t need to have new clothes to just make it out. You may need special equipment or clothes depending on what you are going to do, but you can maybe borrow things or take what you have to start with. Start with a friend, make a small trip on your own, or sign up for a course/camp if you would rather go out with a group. 

Do you have any adventures still on your bucket list you want to share with us? 
Hmm, I don’t have any clear goals like the South Pole. But I think that life has many adventures that I haven’t tried. I love climbing so there are many places I would like to climb at, both in Norway and in other countries. We will see, suddenly I have decided for a new adventure!

Any advice you would have given your ”younger” self? 
Don’t worry so much about that french grammar course I never finished at university…

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us Johanna! Like all outdoorsy women out there – you’re a true inspiration for us, pushing the boundaries for sisters and adventurers. If you’re keen on knowing more about this ladybug, we suggest you head over to her very own site solosister.se where you can purchase her book "Solo Sister" and learn the full story about the South Pole Adventure.