Robert-Jan Arke’s passion for sports and fitness brought him together with Boden native Annica Nordlund, who had returned home to Boden. Robert-Jan moved here, got a job at Stegra, and together they have now started the growing running club Run Club Sju in Boden.
“I’ve already run in many places in Boden,” he says with a smile, showing his map with a web of red-marked saved routes on his phone.
He and his partner Annica have recently returned from an 80 km ultra-marathon in Lyon.
“We travel and run races all over the world.”
But Boden is where their heart and home are.
“I love Sweden, the people, and the mentality here. I’ve wanted to move away from the Netherlands, where I’m from, for a long time, and have dreamed about Scandinavia,” says Robert-Jan Arke.
Robert-Jan eagerly tries Swedish traditions and has both skied and run the Vasaloppet, and eaten surströmming. Not simultaneously though.
New running club
He and his partner Annica train and run together frequently and now share their passion for running with other Boden residents. Together they have started the running club Run Club Sju. The name comes from the simple reason that Robert-Jan, who has just started SFI alongside his job to learn Swedish, is diligently practicing the ‘sj’ sound.
“The word ‘sju’ is really the hardest of them all!”
They’ve also incorporated the number seven into the concept.
“We meet at seven o’clock, warm up until 7:07, and run seven kilometers.”
Robert-Jan wanted to open up group training to more people and has in just a few weeks attracted up to 14 people on his runs. They had a Halloween run and are also planning a Christmas Run on December 17.
“It’s completely free and we do it just because we enjoy it. We start at Bodensia in central Boden. We run around the lake or explore unknown streets in Boden, but we always finish at seven kilometers. Sometimes we do challenges like sprinting when we see a red car, or doing ten pushups when a yellow car passes, but maximum seven cars.”
He describes the running club as a way to both exercise and create social connections at the same time.
“I also think it can provide security for some people to run together with others and discover new routes together.”
Job at Stegra
When he’s not running, he’s been working at Stegra since summer. There, he is one of several people coordinating services and support for the contractors on site.
“We have 53 nationalities at Stegra now. Sometimes it feels a bit like organized chaos, as we say in the Netherlands, but that’s what’s beautiful about it – there’s always something to do and I can always help somewhere. It’s all about communication and planning. When everyone follows the same work methods and procedures, it works. It’s actually quite amazing that this is happening here. I see a future here, for myself, for Stegra and what they’re doing for the world.”
TEXT: ANNA BERGSTRÖM
