Skrevet av: Hanne Rosenberg/Audur Inga Olafsdottir
Dato: 05.02.2004 21:21
Bjørnar K. Leistad (53) is a lawyer who has his own practice in Alta. He is going to participate for the 3rd time in the 500 km race. As he is busy in between trainig the dogs and jobbing, he hardly has time to talk to us when we make a visit.
Bjørnar Leistad has been driving dogs the last 16 years. His oldest son Markus has participated in Finnmarksløpet the past three years. His father is proud of the son who won the 500 km race in the year 2002. He is still the youngest driver who has won that class. Bjørnar was his sons trainer, but now it is the son who trains the father. Markus, who lives and studies in Tromsø, contacts his father every day by telephone to discuss the training and running strategy with him. Markus is going to be his fathers main handler during the race.
Leistad informs that he is a competitor by nature. Just give him a starting number and he will start training. He does not deny that this description of him says it all. He feels that competing in the race is a fantastic combination of a range of elements; the interaction with the dogs, the force of nature, the competition element, to be aquainted with the well organised running unit and to test out his own physical and psychical strength. His goal is to be one of the ten best racers this year. His dog team consits of many young dogs and he is excited to discover their potencials as a team.
At this moment, Leistad has an injured sholder which, he explains laughing, occured when falling out of bed on new years. He does not make further comments on that incident, other than he has been suffering a lot of pain. He has been in treatment with an osteopath who thinks his shoulder should be good enough for the race. Leistad hopes this will be a fact.
When we ask Leistad about what he thinks amazes him the most as an "old" sportsman driving a dog sled he says: - I was an active iceskater and football player in my younger years and I love to compete. Although my days as an iceskater and fottball player are over, one can drive a dog at every age, just as long as one is blessed with a good health. The youngest competitor in Finnmarksløpet is 18 years old and the oldest around 60! Furthermore, driving a dog sled amazes me because it creates such a contrast from my dayly life. As a lawyer, one has to dress up for the job, regardless if it is working at the office or in court. The majority of the work consist in working on the computer, making phonecalls, meetings and procedures. At the time I get home, it is good to change the dress out for the dogclothes and drive in the nature, pick up dog shit, feed and take care of the dogs. It is in a sence as being "back to basic" which backs me up and allows me to get in contact with myself. Practicing law and driving dogs represents to contrasts that creates a dynamic in my dayly life.