Europe, Cycling | Came to Norway as a war refugee: Now he will set a record from the bicycle seat

When Nettavisen picks up the thread, Hadi Akhlaghi is on his way to start the last stage of the first intermediate goal – across Europe by bicycle. So far, he has traveled over 5,000 kilometers on two wheels, and still has more than double that to reach his real goal – namely to become the first Norwegian to cycle across Europe both across and lengthwise.

He already set himself the goal last summer, when he resigned from his job in the Armed Forces.

– I want to reach out to people with the message of how much is possible to achieve. Everything is possible with hard work, says Akhlaghi over the phone from Portugal.

Unfortunately, he has not always been as optimistic, but has known himself to be far down mentally.

Also read: Stop shaming them

Bullying victim

Akhlaghi says that it was difficult to come as a war refugee from Afghanistan to a small town in the north of Norway. It was difficult to adapt to the new everyday life, and he felt the feeling of being different early on. My childhood was characterized by bullying and ostracism. The other children made songs, tagged swear words on the wall, said and did nasty things to him.

– When you are told that you are inept, stupid and useless, you eventually start to believe it yourself. Then something happens to the self-esteem. Things you have experienced in the past shape you, says Akhlaghi.

Also read: Swedish talent “disappeared” suddenly: Now she explains everything

He does not wish that feeling on anyone else. So to prove to himself and others that life can turn around, he embarked on the demanding cycle tour of Europe. Along the way, he has kept a Spleis fundraiser going for income for Mental Health’s work for increased transparency around mental health, prevention and health services within mental health. The goal is to collect NOK 100,000.

– I want to inspire children and young people, especially minority children and young people. From my own experience, you don’t talk about mental challenges in the Afghan environment, says Akhlaghi.

Read also: Ida Elise Broch with diagnosis disclosure: – Good to know

1.5 million via Speis

Secretary General of Mental Health, Linda Berg-Heggelund, says that fundraising campaigns like this mean a lot. She says that the money contributes to Mental Health being able to help thousands of callers to their helpline, as well as provide teaching in mental health to hundreds of school classes across the country, through Venn1 and YAM, which are basic and preventive courses in mental health for young people.

– Not least such actions contribute to more focus and openness and less stigma around mental health in society, in addition to knowledge and information about what kind of help is available, says Berg-Heggelund.

According to Mental Health, the number of initiatives, such as Hadi’s, has exploded in recent years. Since 2018, Mental Health has had 48 initiatives at Spleis.no, most of which have been in the last two years. Last year there were 19 Spleis collections for the organisation.

– There are an incredible number of creative and engaging measures being set up, and a total of NOK 1.5 million has been collected for the organization via Spleis, says Berg-Heggelund.

She adds that, for NOK 100,000, they can, for example, provide teaching in mental health to 400 students, or answer around 1,500 chats or 500 telephone calls to their help centre.

Read also: Russ Cook made history – was robbed by armed men and threatened with a machete

Got help in a foster home

Akhlaghi has experienced firsthand how important it is to talk about feelings. At home it was difficult to talk about the bad things he experienced as a child. The parents had fled from war and there were many things that came before mental challenges. After all, they had received the “golden ticket” to Norway. The focus was more on getting good jobs and establishing themselves in society.

– My wish is that more men and people with minority backgrounds dare to open up. There are far too many people who sit alone with bad thoughts and trauma. For many, it’s about culture. They come from countries where mental health is not an issue, they have experienced war and have a bad conscience for those who remain in their home country, Akhlaghi told Mental Health.

When he was later moved to a foster home, he was met by parents who talked about their feelings, who had surplus and who wanted to help.

It was the door opener to the fact that he is in a better place today, and through folk high school he discovered a whole new world; outdoor life. For Akhlaghi, that has been the key to inner strength. Through outdoor activities, he has processed the trauma from his childhood and found peace.

With that also came the desire to help others.

– The challenges I have had in life have been much tougher than the thousands of kilometers on this trip, he says in conclusion to Nettavisen.

Read also: Fredrik Solvang said he struggled mentally. Revealed as “experiment” in “The Debate”