TRAVERSE Issue 16 - February 2020 | Page 36

Mike had been left in the desert for 12 hours before being picked up by the rally organisers. He managed to fix his bike overnight and continue the next day, but was outside the official rankings and not classified, he contin- ued for the remainder of the rally and made it to Dakar. “The rules are you have to finish every stage on your own power, with no outside help.” Mike says that because he didn’t finish ‘officially’ he does need to go back and finish his race through the desert. It’s this adventurous lifestyle that has shaped Mike since his childhood. His parents were dragging him around the world since his earliest years, in fact he’d travelled around the world by the age of six. “I cannot imagine a better way to spend a childhood,” he grins. “I learned from very early on that people are just people, everywhere. We are all just trying to improve our lives and care for our families and friends. “Most people don’t care about politics and power,” he continues while describing how he learnt so much about language, culture, food and life. It’s this understanding of the world that has left Mike feeling that he never does quite fit in at home in Denmark. “I truly believe the world would be a better place if everyone would leave their little hideouts and see the world.” Mike goes on that he believes there are so many ways to obtain happiness, his philosophy is that no one truly knows it all or has a perfect solution. “Humanity is a project in development!” Mike explains that he has foregone a lot to be able to travel the world, especially by motorcycle. He’s worked hard, in all industries, to ensure he can fulfill his passion. Kitchenhand, delivery driver, even barbecue chef. His main occupation working within the music industry still TRAVERSE 36