A leader with heart and roots

Patrick Otiri Frederiksen is born and raised in Nuuk, where he had a close and loving upbringing. Like a big brother he takes his role seriously, and it's not just in relation to his little sister and little brother, but also in relation to life in general. He sees himself as one protector and guide, and that role has followed him far beyond childhood. I today, both as a leader on the field and in his working life, he is still the one takes responsibility and guides others.

Feet, hands and balls

Patrick Otiri Frederiksen is born and raised in Nuuk, where he had a close and loving upbringing. Like a big brother he takes his role seriously, and it's not just in relation to his little sister and little brother, but also in relation to life in general. He sees himself as one protector and guide, and that role has followed him far beyond childhood. I today, both as a leader on the field and in his working life, he is still the one takes responsibility and guides others.

Feet, hands and balls

Patrick has a mix of Greenlandic and Nigerian roots. His father is Greenlandic, while his mother is Nigerian, but grew up in Denmark. Childhood in Nuuk is characterized by a close relationship with nature – the fjord and the surrounding landscape is his playground. Already at the age of four, Patrick starts playing football, and that will be the beginning of a lifelong love of sports.

- My father always said that every summer I had at least three pairs of shoes, because they simply broke from all the football I played. I loved it, and I still do, says Patrick and smiles.

At the age of 14, Patrick switches from football to handball. Although he has a big one love for football, he feels that the community among his friends draws him against the handball.

- I was almost the only one who played football, and that made me feel me a little outside. So I started playing handball to be a part of the community and share the joy of the sport with others, he explains.

But as with everything else Patrick throws himself into, handball quickly grows something he takes seriously. He does well and quickly establishes himself as a talented player. When, as a 16-year-old, he chooses to go to a sports gymnasium in Denmark, it is not only to get a good education, it is also to pursue his handball career at a higher level.

Nature calls

After three years on my own in Denmark Patrick chooses to return home to Greenland. He is homesick - not just for his home family, but to nature, which has always been a big part of his life.

- The silence and isolation in nature attracted me. It is quite unique to be able to feel yourself, go hunting and live with and in nature, says Patrick, who at despite the good sporting opportunities in Denmark still returns home.

Hunting has been a part of Patrick's life since he first became a 10-year-old taken by his father.

- It was a meeting with my Greenlandic identity. Shooting your first reindeer is a kind of manhood test, he explains.

Patrick spends two years in Nuuk before returning to Denmark for to study a vocational education as a marketing economist. The experiences in Denmark are many - he develops both sportingly, creates strong relationships and thrives in the new environment. Still, he feels called home again. Despite that both his siblings have settled in Denmark and he really enjoys having them close by, Greenland calls him home. This time it is not only nature, but also the desire to give something back that calls to him.

Something good for others

When Patrick returns to Nuuk and begins to look for work, it is natural to think that he will use his training as a marketing economist. But fate has other plans for him. He ends up taking a job at a residential institution where he works with children there has been subjected to neglect - and it quickly becomes something he is passionate about.

- I want to make a difference, help contribute to society. I have always had that drive in me – to be part of something bigger, says Patrick with a smile that lights up.

However, the interest does not come from strangers, but from a lifelong source of inspiration – his father.

- I have always looked up to my father. He grew up in orphanages in Aasiaat and has had to take responsibility for his own life from a young age. He has proven that he could become something, despite all the challenges he has faced. The one strength and will I deeply admire, says Patrick with awe in his voice.

Today, Patrick is assistant manager at Kaassassuk, a residential institution for boys, where physical activity is an important part of work. Here they use sports and movement as a way to help the boys master their challenges and find their road. Patrick runs side by side with the young boys, often far, far away the landscape. It is in those moments when the body is pushed to its limit, that the wall that we all face in life's difficult moments becomes clear. For the boys open it up to new sides of themselves and allow them to feel.

- They may experience an inner conflict along the way on a 20 kilometer trip – one conflict with oneself. Life hurts, but when they get over that wall, continue and succeed, they are happier and it makes them easier to talk to. Suddenly they start opening up, talking about their feelings and their experiences. It is so important, and something many young men could learn from, says Patrick with such warmth of heart that you immediately understand that his work does not is just a job, but a true matter of the heart.

A leader for all

As Patrick's homecoming begins football and futsal to fill more of his life again. He tunes in the national team, and in 2021 he will be captain.

- There was a generational change in the sport, and the responsibility as captain fell to me naturally. I want to go up front and be there for my teammates. That has been easy for me to take on the leadership role - also thanks to my work with children and young people, says Patrick in a calm but determined voice.

Today he proudly wears the captain's armband, and just like in his work at Kaassassuk, is the important thing for Patrick as a human being is that we dare to talk about the things that hurt, or which are difficult to share.

- I think there are many young men who find it difficult to put their feelings into words feelings – especially here in Greenland. There is a tendency to see it as a weakness, but in reality it is the opposite – a strength, says Patrick and pretends the words hang in the air for a bit before he cautiously continues.

- The suicide rate is far too high, and I also think it's because we don't talk to each other without being judgmental. My hope is that we become more curious and less judgmental, he explains quietly, but with a warmth and depth that bears witness about his sincere commitment.

That's what he is – the rankest hunter, a man who goes ahead, both in football boots and with the heart in the right place and which shows us all that feelings are not only allowed, but necessary.

Hand in hand

There is one thing that always comes first work, teammates and football – and that's family. Patrick is a father of three children, Meino, Emily and Milo, with two different women. Although he no longer is with the children's mothers, the cooperation and joint family life is still there absolutely central to him.

- Meino, Emily and Milo mean everything to me. It means so much to be able to be a role model for them, to show them that you are allowed to dream. That if one believe in your dreams and work for them, then you can make them come true fulfillment, Patrick says with a soft look.

Meino lives in Narsarsuaq with her mother, while Emily and Milo, like their father, almost lives in the sports hall in Nuuk.

- They grew up in the hall, used to watching their father play, and they are mine absolute crowd favourite, Patrick says with a laugh that reveals his big love to the three.

However, the price of a career in sport and the great responsibility it entails also has had its costs.

- I have often thought about what I have missed. I have traveled a lot with the sport and spent countless evenings in the hall, and in that time I have been absent in other areas. I want to become better at giving back responsibility so that I can be more present for my children, says Patrick thoughtfully.

Like life in the hall, Patrick is passionate about sharing his love for the fjord with his children. This summer, he also hopes that his daughter will be old enough to be introduced to reindeer hunting, which has been part of his own growing up.

- She is five years old, so this summer she will be coming very close. She rejoices, and I look forward to showing her what my father showed me, says Patrick, and it is clearly that he wants to carry on the hunting traditions that have been a so important part of his own childhood.

One vote for Greenland

On because of his prominent role in the sport, Patrick has become central focal point, not only in Greenland, but also internationally. In Søren Høys documentary 'We Are Greenland: Football Is Freedom' is followed throughout the football team in their fight for international recognition, where Patrick steps emerged as a significant figure in the story.

- There has been a lot of attention from international journalists. In the beginning it was overwhelming, but today I've learned to be in it. I want to be a voice for Greenland, says Patrick, who also consciously tries to direct attention to his teammates, to ensure that more perspectives emerge.

Greenland is more than a country for Patrick – it is a part of his soul, a fire, that burns deep within him and for which he is willing to fight, no matter what.

- Greenland is so deeply in my heart that I will do everything for my country - on both sides the track, in my work with young people and in my relationship with nature. I want to give back what I have been given and help build a stronger future for Greenland, says Patrick with a conviction that carries his words well calmness and strength.

His voice reveals a deep love and loyalty to his homeland, which is not only about sport, but also about being an active part of it society and the nature that shaped him.